


Six Spirit

by Ysavvryl



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Adult Pokemon Trainer, Canon Pokemon Too, Death and mourning, Fantasy, Gen, Legends, Original Character(s), Original Pokemon, Original Region, Pokemon Journey, Religion, spirituality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 185,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6148255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysavvryl/pseuds/Ysavvryl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having lost his only Pokémon, 23 year old Polaris finds a new start with a strange tablet that may be connected to the mysterious Arkahna religion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lost the Choice and Lost in Festivity

**Author's Note:**

> This story came about because I wanted to try a more mature approach to the typical Pokémon journey. But not as in R-rated sex and violence sort of maturity. No, I wanted to use the perspective of a young adult rather than a child.

**Prologue? Lost the Choice**

May 10, year 58

There was a chime over the train's intercom. A woman's computerized voice announced, "Arriving at Tipa Station for eight PM scheduled stop. All passengers disembarking at Tipa, please be ready. Next station is Aetha City Station B at eight thirty PM. Repeating."

In the seats of the second car, a young man looked up to the notice, then stretched. "This would be our stop. Ready Stan?"

The boy beside him grinned. "Ready? I've been waiting for this for months, Diego."

He laughed, messing up his younger brother's black hair. "I know; you've been talking about it non-stop. You did well, getting the Professor's approval."

Sitting up straight, he clasped the arms of the seat, waiting for the train to stop. "But I'm gonna do better than just that. I'm going to catch lots of strong Pokemon, become the League Champion, and be the most famous Trainer ever, more famous than you."

Diego took that in good humor. "Now, now, Stan, it's not going to be that easy. I've been at this for eight years now, and you know how far I've gotten. I haven't even qualified to take on the Elite Four."

The train hissed as it stopped. Stan rolled his eyes as he got out of his seat. "That's because you wasted a bunch of years in being a Gym Trainer instead of beating the Gyms."

Picking up his hefty backpack, Diego shook his head. "That wasn't wasting time, if you think about it. Are you sure you want to start off with the League immediately? It's tough."

The boy took his own backpack. "I'm ten years old now. I can take the League challenge."

"You can, but the question is, should you? I'm letting you travel along with me, but you'd best be willing to put good effort into everything."

He was starting to get annoyed with this conversation. Lately, it seemed that everyone was insisting that Stan 'put in good effort' and 'consider your future'. He was ten and he had his Trainer's license. That meant that he wasn't a kid anymore. So why was everyone still treating him that way? "I'll be fine; I can do this."

"Just making sure you know what you're getting into." They seemed to be the only ones getting off at this station, so they headed on out.

Tipa Station was made of local stones and wood; it seemed old based on the wear of the walls and the warping of the old windows. Around them, the town seemed like one a generous adult would call quaint: old wooden houses, dense flower gardens, stone paths, white fences, and even an old well. A few touches of modern technology could be seen: the train when it wasn't hidden behind a tall brown fence, satellite dishes on the houses, and a group of modern windmills for power. In the center of town, there was an old church built of huge logs, sort of like a cabin. Over the door, it had a symbol of Arceus, so it was probably part of the Sinnoh church.

To Stan, Tipa was a frumpy backwater town. He was used to Graystone, a truly modern city. This place couldn't even claim a thousand residents. And this was where he was expected to start his illustrious career of Pokemon, fame, and fortune? At least he wouldn't stay here long, and there was no obligation to come back at any time. Sure, as one of the professor's chosen youth assistants, he had to take readings for the Pokedex project. But he could do that over the internet and never return to Tipa again.

Diego seemed to like the place, though. "This is such a relaxing place. It's a good town to take a break in. But first, we have your first lesson in being a League Challenger."

Stan perked up, coming up onto his toes. "Really? I don't even have a Pokemon yet."

"I know, but this is an important one. Come out, Jacafrare, you're helping." He pulled a Pokeball with a flame-patterned top and pressed a button to release the Pokemon inside.

Diego's starter Pokemon, from ten years ago, came out obediently and looked at the two brothers. The rabbit-like Jacafrare came up to Stan's shoulder, when he wasn't tilting his long ears up. Yellow-orange flames covered much of the Pokemon's body, on top of a layer of fine ginger-brown fur. Twitching his ears between his brown antlers, Jacafrare starting bouncing in place.

The older Trainer smiled at them both. "Okay then. When you're a League Challenger, you're going to be traveling a lot. The Gyms are all in different cities, and some are spread far apart. Sure, you can take the trains and ferries to get to places quicker, or even your own Pokemon if you're good enough. But the smart Trainer ignores all that. The smart Trainer travels from town to town on foot. That way, you can fight a lot of battles, with other Trainers and with wild Pokemon. You can capture new Pokemon if need be, you can pick berries and other items to trade for supplies and services, and sometimes, if you're really alert, you can find unexpected gifts alongside the road."

"I could have told you that," Stan complained.

Diego just laughed. "Yes, but could you have told me the next part of this lesson? In order to travel on foot the whole way around the League's area, you have to travel through most of the Sea of Jasper's land regions. You must be in good physical fitness in order to do that. So we need to test you on that. Jacafrare! To the Professor's lab!"

Perking his ears up, Jacafrare clicked once, then took off like a crazed fireball through the center of the town of Tipa. There was no way in the world that the two humans could keep up with him. However, Diego took off running after his Pokemon anyhow.

"H-hey, wait up!" Stan called, then ran after them. Clutching his backpack as to not lose it, he tried to catch up to his brother at least. But Diego was much faster than him.

As if to taunt him, Jacafrare rushed back to the boy and started hopping around him, all while not losing any speed. Stan tried to avoid colliding into the tall rabbit, but also had to watch his own steps. His backpack changed his weight balance, so he kept feeling like he would stumble. By some luck, he managed not to fall flat on his face and arrived at the Professor's lab intact.

"What was that for?" Stan asked, clasping his backpack's handles. It hadn't been far enough to wear him out, thankfully. Still, some sweat was showing on his brown skin.

"I told you," Diego stated calmly. "A traveling Trainer has got to keep in great shape. It's mostly walking, but sometimes you have to run after a Pokemon that bolts."

He looked at Jacafrare, who was bouncing in place again. "But if it's your own Pokemon, you can just recall them to their Pokeball."

"But if they're annoyed at you, that would make them angry instead. So here we are. Let's go inside."

Stan looked over the Pokemon Lab and felt a little disappointed. Earlier, he had pictured something like a mad scientist's lair, with strange machines, blinking lights, a metal fence, and all sorts of interesting things lying about. This lab was quaint, much like the rest of the town. Outside, it had been painted an orange peach color. A rose garden lined with smooth rocks was set along the walls of the small building, while potted plants were hanging from the rooftop. Attached to it, there was a giant greenhouse that seemed to house some kind of jungle. Nearby solar panels helped to power this particular building.

Inside, it was much the same. There was a group of computers, but more prominently, there were many plants in pots: small trees, flower clusters, vegetables, and even an aquarium water garden. It was a nice clean place with some garden-themed decorations. It was much like his grandmother's house, which annoyed Stan. Couldn't his epic journey start in a cooler fashion?

There were two people in the small lab, a middle-aged woman with long black hair and black skin, along with a girl Stan's age who looked similar. The woman smiled at them. "Diego, I was wondering if you would come. It's good to see you again."

"You too, Yvette," Diego replied, shaking her hand. "This is Dr. Yvette Arboreal, and this would be my youngest brother Stan."

She nodded, then shook Stan's hand. "And it's good to meet you, Stan Cartwright. I quite liked your essay on the habits of the Rhyhorns."

"Yah, they're pretty cool I always thought. That's gonna be one I'll definitely catch and train."

"Good. We've still got a few minutes to wait on our last youth researcher. This is my niece, Eve; she'll be working on the same project as you."

"Good afternoon," Eve said with a polite bow.

Diego and the professor started talking, but Stan didn't feel like listening. Or talking to a girl. Instead, he looked over at the nearby table where the three regional starters were waiting. The three young Pokemon were out, passing time as much as the others in the room. There was the Fire type Frare, the unevovled version of Diego's Jacafrare. Noticing that older Pokemon there, the young fire rabbit twitched his ears and watched the Jacafrare. There was the Water type Drizzy, a whirling cyclone which was hard to look at while it was spinning. If it would stop, Stan knew it had a bovine's head and tail. Lastly, there was the Grass type Petifleur, a flower bulb that sat on legs of leafy vines. It seemed to be asleep, because it looked no different than the plants all around the lab.

Before he could go over there for a closer look, the door opened again. This time, it was another girl, this one with pale freckled skin and pink hair. "Good afternoon, Dr. Arboreal," the girl said, bowing. "I'm Amy Roselia; I just got here riding my bike from Aetha."

"That's quite a trip," the professor said, shaking her hand. "Good to meet you, Amy. Okay, since we're all here, we might as well begin. You three have been chosen through a regional essay competition to become a Pokedex youth researcher, and you've all done wonderful jobs. So congratulations, and welcome to the project.

"As you may know, humans and Pokemon have lived together for centuries. But due to technological restraints and religious beliefs, we have not understood Pokemon fully. Many things about them are still a mystery, and there are certainly undiscovered Pokemon out there waiting to be found. That is where the scientific advancement of the electronic Pokedex helps us the most. By recording a large amount of data and many cases of raising Pokemon, scientists have now begun to crack the mysteries of Pokemon. The data collecting you will be doing will lead to great advancements, I'm sure.

"As for myself, I study what makes Pokemon Pokemon. I look at the differences between these plants here," she gestured to the potted plants around the room, "and the plant Pokemon that have emerged," she then pointed back to the Petifleur, who finally woke up and looked around at the humans. "There are also bugs that are or are not Pokemon, as well as fish and some birds. But my research is narrow, I admit. We also have the problem of our region being behind in Pokedex data entries.

"Back when I got Diego as an assistant, we didn't even have research Pokedexes to hand out. We were dependant on data from other regions, which was often inaccurate to the local Pokemon." Then she smiled. "But I've finally got things arranged so that I can give you research Pokedexes, to automatically record the local Pokemon and notice the differences between our region and others. Firstly, you get to choose your research partner, a Pokemon that will assist you as yur very first one." She then looked back to the three starters.

Finally! This was the moment Stan had been waiting practically all his life for, the moment when he would choose his starter Pokemon from the regional Professor. Once this was done, he was free. He would no longer be a child, but a Pokemon Trainer. Everyone would come to respect him. This was just the first step, but it was such an important one. He would take his Pokemon asd rise to stardom.

Professor Arboreal then pulled three cards out of her pocket and had them each take one. "I want to do this fairly, so turn your cards over and see what order you choose in."

Please let it be 1, Stan thought, looking at the white notecard in his left hand. He knew exactly the Pokemon he wanted, but he had to be first, so that he could choose it right away and be gone. Let it be one… he turned the card.

It was 3.

Not wanting to look childish, the ten-year-old bit his lip. Great, he was last. Just his luck. Looking over the other chosen ones, he thought that maybe he could still get the Fire starter. There were two girls standing in a line with him. The girl in pink curls hopped up excitedly. "Oh, I'm first!"

"All right then," Professor Arboreal said. She gestured to the three young Pokemon, who were now eyeing the children as eagerly as they were being eyed. "Amy Roselia, which Pokemon do you want?"

Stan crossed his fingers under the notecard. He wanted the Fire starter. Although he had never met Amy before, he silently begged her not to choose…

"I want Frare," Amy said.

Curses! Stan changed his crossed fingers to a fist. The ginger furred rabbit hopped off the table and bounded up to his new Trainer. "Currrku," he greeted her, holding his enflamed long ears up in a pleased look. While he was hunched over and a bit too much on the cute side now, the Frare would grow up to be an impressive and speedy Pokemon. The Professor then gave a flame patterned Pokeball to Amy. It was nothing more than a decorative skin, but it looked so cool.

Diego, who had been standing beside Stan, gripped his shoulder in consolation. Diego had chosen Frare when he had started out eight years ago. Well, at least no one could say Stan was imitating his brother. But he had really wanted Frare and not even because his brother had one. He looked at the last two in order to decide which one of those he wanted.

"Aunt Yvette, I'm next," the girl in black pigtails said, holding up her card.

"Okay then, Yew Eve Aboreal, make your choice."

In spite of his disappointment, Stan snickered, earning a 'shut up' glare from Yew-Eve. But, she was a girl, so hopefully she'd pick the more girly of the two Pokemon left. She then looked back over and smiled at the Professor. "I'd like Drizzy, please."

And another punch of disappointment hit Stan. Drizzy, the pale blue bovine calf, whirled over from where it had been standing by the table and mooed at Eve. It was taller than either of the other two, and had no legs. Instead, it has a whirl of blue water, like a cyclone. The whole time he had been here, the Drizzy had amused itself by spinning in circles. The Professor gave Eve a blue bubble-patterned Pokeball.

That left him with, "Stan Cartwright, it seems that you end up with Petifleur," the Professor said. She handed him the leafy designed Pokeball. "She's quite a talented little Pokemon, so I'm sure you'll do well with her."

"Yes, thank you," Stan forced himself to say. The Professor might have favored plants and Grass-types, but he didn't.

The Petifleur… his Petifleur… she dropped off the table and crawled over to him on her leafy vines. She had a dark chestnut brown body, shaped like a round walnut, which was topped with a lighter brown bulb tipped with a dainty pink flower. As the vines she used for legs were dense with little green leaves, she seemed like a short moving bush. "Hooowah?" she asked, shyly spinning her bulb to in front. It was almost like a smooth mace on a vine… but tipped by a flower and therefore girly.

Still, she was his starter. He might as well get used to the idea. "Hi," he said.

"Dude, you got a female starter," Diego said, strangely pleased. "That's pretty uncommon. Most breeders keep the females."

"I guess," Stan said. Still, couldn't one of the girls have picked the girl Pokemon? He was going to get made fun of back home now, all because he had to pick last.

"Oh, Mr. Cartwright?" Eve said, skipping over with her Drizzy. She bowed to Diego.

He chuckled. "No need for the mister, now. Just call me Deigo, all right?"

She smiled. "Sure. Most people call me Eve. I know you're one of the top Trainers in the Jasper League and you must be really busy, but could I travel with you for a while? I'm not really interested in battling myself, but I want to be a Professor and I need to study a lot of Pokemon to do that. And you must run across a lot of different ones at your ability level."

"That I do," he said. But he put his hand on Stan's shoulder. "Actually, I'm taking on my kid brother here as an apprentice of sorts."

Quickly, her enthusiasm deflated and she stopped bouncing on her toes. "Oh, okay."

"I didn't say I wouldn't take you too," Diego pointed out with a grin. "You know what they say: the more the merrier."

Eve jumped up and clapped her hands. "Thank you so very much." She bowed again. "May the spirits of the land bless our path."

"Isn't that some religious nonsense?" Stan asked. "You really believe in the god Pokemon?"

She nodded and started speaking respectfully. "Of course I do. They're not just extraordinary Pokemon, they're gods. And they're watching us all the time."

"That's silly," Stan protested, crossing his arms over his chest. Great, now his Pokemon journey would be completely ruined. Having to travel with some girl who was all religious would be annoying.

"You never know," Diego said.

And they were being watched. It was one spirit, intangible and invisible to their senses. All evening, it had been watching them. It was common in stories to start with children like these, wasn't it? Taking the innocent children, guiding them to become heroes, and watching as they made the world a better place; that was how it went.

But as the spirit watched these three chat in various degrees of excitement, it felt that they wouldn't work this time. They might work for most of what needed to be done. It would all be for naught if they couldn't fix one problem though. And these children… they couldn't do that. They couldn't get her to listen. If it wanted someone who could reach her, it needed…

It needed someone who could sympathize with her. It needed someone who was lost without light, someone who had suffered. Down below, those children had not felt depression. But there must be some human out there who did, but was willing to see hope and keep striving for a better place. That was the kind of person she needed to hear.

Unnoticed, the spirit moved on.

* * *

 

**Prologue: Lost in Festivity**

May 14, year 58

The Grand Festival was a marvelous time for the city of St. Rosaline. Coordinators from around the Sea of Jasper, and even the world, came together to show off their dazzling Pokemon. Everywhere one looked, there were Pokemon to see. There were the darlings of the participating Coordinators, dressed, cleaned, and primed to look at their absolute best. There were the oftentimes equally beautiful Pokemon of up and coming Coordinators who were here to watch the competitions, hoping to come away with the secrets of winning. And then there were the Pokemon that everyone else brought, the companions, the pets, and the partners of the wandering crowd.

Everyone had a Pokemon with them. The smallest like Budew and Pichu were given shoulders or strollers to ride on, preventing them from being lost or trod upon. Many normal-sized Pokemon followed around their Trainers; a few Trainers even had two out. Occasionally, one saw a human without a Pokemon, but they invariably had a Pokeball or several on hand. These ones often trained giants or wildly-behaving ones, and were keeping them away because of the crowd. Even the children, too young to own Pokemon themselves, were often accompanied by a parent's Pokemon. These patient Pokemon kept an eye on the children in case the adults got distracted.

Yes, everyone had a Pokemon, except for him.

He stood out in the crowd. Maybe not immediately, but a careful eye would notice that this man carried no Pokeballs and was followed by no one. He tried to absorb himself into the crowd, feeling the excitement and celebrating the event. However, he couldn't. The crowd flowed around him, because he was alone.

"Hey, mister!"

Not expecting the call to be for him, he looked anyways and saw a group of three kids approaching him. They each had a Pokemon with them. And not just any old Pokemon. These were the starter Pokemon given out by the League to qualifying young Trainers. The oldest of the group had a fully evolved Jacafrare, a two foot tall ginger brown rabbit with branched antlers and a vest of fire. As the other two were just starting out, they had young Pokemon in their first stage; the boy had a leafy Petifleur and the girl had a bovine Drizzy.

They had been looking for him, as the oldest one said, "You're that artist that works at this Contest Hall, right? Are you drawing caricatures again this year?"

He felt a twinge of guilt as he replied, "No, not this year. Sorry." Last year, he had drawn over a hundred drawings over the course of the three day festival, all having been of good quality. This year, his art was so terrible and lifeless that he hadn't dared pick up as much as a pencil in the past month. Of course, there were other reasons for avoiding art.

"Hmm, that's too bad." His Jacafrare put a paw to its nose, as if disappointed as well. "I got one of my team last year and it was excellent."

He felt bad all over again for skipping out on this year. But he really wasn't in a mood to be drawing and everything would turn out horrible as a result. Then the girl asked, "Sir, is your name really Polaris Starr?"

"Um, yeah," he replied.

"It's still not as awful as your name," the younger boy teased.

"Hey!" She went to smack him, but he ran off into the crowd. The other two humans and the three Pokemon soon chased after him.

He wondered for a moment what tease-bait name she had. He rather liked his, despite having endured many taunts back when he'd been in school. And the kids had probably found him because of his bright pumpkin orange hair, another old source of teasing. He still let it grow out, as he liked that too. But for the moment, he wished he had a hat.

Moving on, he glanced at the stalls set up along the cobblestone streets. There were so many things to see and buy. Trade demonstrations; he saw an obedience school giving one with a highly-venomous Seviper. Non-profit organization educators; he saw a Pokemon adoption agency making public appeals. Carnival style games; he saw a tossing game with a Phanphy. And the food stands, such a variety. Different styles of local flavors, transports from other lands, and the usual suspects of popcorn, cotton candy, corn dogs, hamburgers, and so on…

And then there was the famous deep-fried Poffin stand. Berry rich Poffin bread was already a special and nutritious treat for Pokemon and humans, but then somebody had the idea of frying the dough instead of baking it. The result was heavenly to taste, but considerably less nutritious than the normal Poffins. And they couldn't be saved either; an hour after the Poffin had been fried, it was already considered bad by many. Polaris thought about getting one. He liked the sweet, but she liked the spicy…

She wasn't here anymore. He clasped the pendant he wore around his neck. It was of a leaf-shaped green stone, connected to a leather string. Not a Leaf Stone; that wouldn't have done her any good. The stone was a reminder of her, but it seemed like everything reminded him of her. It was just a month ago now.

Trying to think of something else, he moved on and kept looking. There were booths selling things, most prominently accessories for all Pokemon, not just the Festival competitors. There was a troupe of dancers, both human and Pokemon. There was the local Gym Leader, Adrian Jensen, who was putting on a display of Pokemon acrobatics along with his daughter Arianna. Looking past the Festival, there was a church built by a priest from Sinnoh; it had gorgeous stained glass windows, mostly of Pokemon and humans getting along. There was a local antique store, which had advertisements picturing various Pokemon. And there was the Pokecenter…

Polaris paused, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. The noise of the crowd, just a couple of feet away on every side, seemed to be miles away. It was in that Pokecenter where she had died.

"Polaris!"

The crowd made itself known again, thankfully disrupting his mind before his emotions slipped through. He turned to see a woman with an Ariados moving closer to him. When he glanced down, the Bug twitched his striped antennae. "Sessri," he called as a greeting.

"Oh, hi Megan. Hello Greeble."

Greeble the Ariados was pleased to be acknowledged kindly, as always. "Ssissri."

"It's been a while since we've seen you," the blue-haired woman said. "It must be pretty tough coming out here after what happened."

He smiled slightly at the comment. She had been the first one all day to say something about it. "Yeah, but I've been coming to this Grand Festival every year. I got your card the other day; thanks."

She patted his arm in a gesture of sympathy. "It must be something awful to lose your only Pokemon. Besides, I miss little Sienna too. She was a sweet one, one of the best behaved that I've ever met."

"She was wonderful." He glanced around; everyone seemed to be ignoring them, wrapped up in their own enjoyment. "I thought I might feel better getting out and being here, but I feel terribly out of place."

"Why don't you come with me? You might as well not be alone." She rocked on her feet up to her toes in waiting for a response.

He hadn't expected that. Maybe it would make him feel better, or maybe she could give him an excuse to go back home if things got too overwhelming. "All right, if it's okay with you both."

"Gre ah!" Greeble chirped happily.

"Sure, we don't mind. Come on; I promised to visit a friend's booth before the next round of Tough comes up."

It was easier enduring the crowd because someone was with him. Megan's casual way with conversation deflected his mind from the usual ruts of his loss. Having no particular reason to be out in the Festival, Polaris didn't mind following her agenda.

The booth they came to had a three foot long paper scroll on display up front. He was disappointed to see that it was a printed scroll, not a painted one. Since it had the scroll, it was probably for an Arkahna group. The Arkahn were the native people of the Sea of Jasper. With dark hair, brown skin, and short stature, they were easily distinguishable from the fair-skinned immigrants such as himself.

Running a little carnival game was Jynana Kefris. "It's a little thing that we've used in our own festivals for centuries. Take one of the stones and make a wish, then try to get it into the jar. If you make it, your wish could come true."

"What's it cost?" Polaris asked, skeptical that having a 'wish' was all one got for playing.

"Nothing," the priestess said. She pointed to a jar of change and a few bills. "That's for donations to make repairs to our church and doesn't have anything to do with the game."

"They've got that lovely little building on the end of Cinem Drive," Megan explained. "But the roof is in bad shape and they weren't able to get funds for it from the Prophet."

"We've only been giving our tithing dues to specific organizations, not the church main." She shook her head. "The prophet wants us to seclude ourselves from our neighbors, people like you. Many of us don't agree with him."

"I see. It's a pity when religions fall to in-fighting like that." Figuring a church was a worthy charity, he took out a dollar and put it in the jar.

In the meantime, Megan picked up a stone and tried to toss it into the jar. Although the main body of it was a large sphere, the opening was a small funnel. She missed with her try, bouncing off the rim and onto the street. "Ah darn. Go ahead and try. Maybe you can get Sienna back as a Ghost Pokemon; I hear loyal ones will do that sometimes."

He laughed sheepishly. "I don't know about that. She knew how I felt about ghosts."

He glanced over the bin of stones; they were various river and sea rocks, all kinds of colors and shapes. His eyes soon fell on one, a dark green one shaped like an oval. Like his leaf-shaped stone? Yes and no; it was enough to make him think of it. He took that and wondered what to wish for. The one thing on his mind was impossible. So he wished that, no matter how long it took, his life would turn around and become better than before.

Not really bothering with taking effort to aim, he tossed it to the clay pot. It bounced off the upper rim and went inside.

* * *

Carrying the jar and basket of collected wish stones, Jynana walked down the Rosaline streets. She still wore the costume she had for the festival, a black dress with silver lining. She brushed her fingers through her black hair. Like all of her tribe, her hair had highlights of color; hers in particular was deep blue. But genetics dictated it was mostly black, like genetics dictated that she would have brown skin and black eyes. The tribal distinctions should be a source of pride, she often told other young people.

A man walking the opposite way as her shoved her aside with a drunken laugh. "Hey fruitcake, why don't you stop believing in fairy tales and come with me for a real good time?"

With a practiced mask over her indignation, she pressed on, ignoring the heckler. Once safely a block from him, she whispered to herself, "Do not hate the faithless, for they walk without the sun."

It was still difficult at times, she thought with a pain in her soul. There were fantastic stories of when the six spirits of Arkahn legends were active, of how ordinary events became magical and there was a real equality between human and Pokemon. But for many generations now, there was nothing but faith holding the Arkahn tradition together. And when a priestess like herself encountered doubt in that which she taught, it was barely held together at all.

Jynana began humming a hymn, to soothe her mind. If they held on, their faith and loyalty would be validated and rewarded. But when? There was a man who called himself the Prophet of Desolaire, but she did not know if she should believe in him as she believed in the soul of the sun.

As times were tough, her church was her home. Opening the front doors led to the large worship area, while her living quarters were tiny, hidden away behind curtains and large potted plants. She brought the wishing stones to the table in front of a wall scroll. It depicted the six spirits, along with basic tenants of the Arkahna religion.

Placing the basket aside, she spread the stones from the jar out on the table. "Loving spirits, the mothers of our tribe and their followers, I bring to you the wishes of our people. For peace, for prosperity, for luck, for children, I know not what. Take these private thoughts and..." a flicker on the scroll caught her eye.

She paused in her prayer, worried for a moment that the scroll had caught on fire. But it wasn't flames or even a spark. However, something felt different. She was used to a tranquil sense of peace when praying like this. It was only in the old days that the flashy things happened.

Taking a deep breath, she passed her hands over the stones. "Take these private thoughts..." one of the stones sparkled.

Jynana stopped again and picked up the stone. It was dark green, shaped like a leaf but not a Leaf Stone. Although a little glossy, there was nothing about it that should have sparkled like that. She held it up to the scroll.

Now the scroll began to glow. It was faint, not even as strong as a candle, but enough to see in the dim room. The symbols of the six spirits glowed in response to this wish stone.

"We have heard," a faint voice said.

Jynana felt her blood turn cold. She gripped the wish stone to her chest. "I hear you…"

* * *

 

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: starters

 **Frare** -Frabbit -Jacafrare **  
**

The Wildfire Pokemon

Type: Fire/Normal

Ability: Blaze

Description: Frare has ginger coloration, orange-brown main coat and cream-tan accents on its belly and paws. All of its fur is short. With its back legs larger than its front, it stays hunched over most of the time. It has long slender ears that stand upright. Orange fire sprouts naturally from the backs of its ears and a small bit off its paws. It has round black eyes and short white whiskers.

Notes: Frare developed in wide open areas and, as such, is keen on running. Trainers should make sure to allow a Frare to run freely at least once a day. Similarly, attempts to use training or battling methods that downplay speed will make the Pokemon upset, often unruly. They have a tendency to start fires when disobedient, so if you must be firm, make sure there's nothing highly flammable nearby (S. Redbird)

 **Drizzy** -Cirrow -Stratosteer

The Stormcloud Pokemon

Type: Water/Water, Water/Electric(3)

Ability: Torrent

Description: Drizzy's main body is a misty water vortex about two feet high. It has a calf's head, though, light blue like water vapor. It also has a light blue tail like a calf. Although it appears to have no body past the vortex, research has shown that it is just well hidden. The hidden body is fairly plain, though: a quadrupde with tall legs and a small body. It balances perfectly on the vortex's tip.

Notes: Drizzy will grow naturally to be defensive, although you may need to get it to focus on increasing attack power. It's usually a tolerant Pokemon, although stubbornness is known to be a problem in males and every individual is different. They do like to spin needlessly (almost endlessly) in this stage, but they will grow out of it. (M. Shariden)

 **Petifleur** -Fleurmber -Fleurdifir

The Passion Flower Pokemon

Type: Grass/Grass, Grass/Fire(2, 3)

Ability: Overgrow

Description: It has a round nut-like head/body, mostly dark brown with a tan face. This sits on top of a bushy growth of small leaves, medium green in color. Growing out of the top of the nut body is a thick stem holding onto a dark brown bulb. The bulb is almost as large as Petifleur's body, but narrows to a tip where a small orange flower grows.

Notes: Petifleur should be allowed out in the sun regularly, like all other Grass Pokemon. But one should note that they can get aggressive and will lash out if disturbed during a nap. Trainers should also take special care when Petifleur gets close to its first evolution, as it sometimes produce its fire-starting chemicals before it can control them properly. They start out with a fair defense, but their natural attack growth will overtake that before long. (L. Dawson)

 


	2. Behind the Contest Scenes

October 9th, year 58

The batch of pink and red roses sat in a showy vase of white china. They were nestled among large green ferns and delicate white baby's breath clusters. While it might do as well to be a gift to one's beloved, it was set upon the receptionist's counter of the St. Rosaline Port Contest Hall. It suited the building's interior style.

Observing it, Polaris had an unsettling feeling of distaste for the arrangement. It was too dense and artificial. One could tell that it had been designed by a florist's hand. If he had the option of doing these arrangements, he'd find an elegant flower hook to set up one of those roses. Possibly it would have a leaf with it, but only if it were the rose's own. And it needn't be a perfect rose either. Simply one rose so that viewers could admire the gifts nature had bestowed upon the flower.

A woman's voice intruded on his observations. "Polaris, you need to get those sold pictures framed before we open."

"I'll get right on it, Trudy," he called back.

The owner of the Contest Hall smiled at him. She was artificial looking too, he considered, what with that make-up disguising her face's 'faults' and the special clothing which did the same for her body. Same for her Pokemon, a Grovyle that had extensions on her leafy 'wings'. Most people didn't notice this, but Polaris had seen the ruse right away. "Good. If you've got time after that, would you check on the day's backdrops?"

"Sure thing." He left the lobby for the artist's studio and went straight for the sold bin.

There were three pictures in there, all of which needed to be trimmed, matted, then framed. Since he only ever did one size, everything was efficiently made to fit that size. As he hardly had to think about the process now, he looked over his drawings from yesterday. A Golem from the Tough field, a Cyndaquil from the Cute field, and a Qwilfish from the Smart field. That last one had been a surprise, but the Pokemon had been quite classy.

Looking over the drawings, Polaris thought that something wasn't quite right with them. He couldn't put his finger on it. They were good; they had to be good, or else they wouldn't have been bought. There were no obvious mistakes. And yet not one of them satisfied him. It was a problem that most of his pictures lately had. None of them caught his passion. It was discouraging. The Hall might as well hire a photographer instead.

But they didn't. This was his job. He'd continue to draw here until something lit his artistic fire again.

Once he had the drawings ready, he dropped them off at the little shop attached to the Hall. Then he went backstage to check on the backdrops. According to the schedule, each category had a Contest today, plus the practice stage would be running two classes. Polaris pulled out the seven backdrops and looked them over. Although only used in the presentation stage, they were still damaged quite often from participating Pokemon. The moonlight sea backdrop had a dark stain, while the wheat field backdrop was streaked by someone's Rain Dance. He removed the stain and touched up the water damage as best he could.

"Attention," the loudspeaker recited in a grainy call, "the Beauty Super Contest will start in five minutes on Stage A, while the Training Class will start in ten minutes on Stage C. All participants please be in your places."

"Hey, I need the backdrops," one of the other Hall workers called out. His Pokemon, a Machop, called out a greeting.

"Sure, I set the first two over there," Polaris called back, pointing to the nearby wall.

"Thanks." Like himself, this worker and his Machop were dressed all in black. The stage hands and their strong Pokemon weren't to be noticed. In contrast, Polaris' reason was because he drew with charcoal often and Trudy did not think it presentable for the Hall's artist to be messy with black dust while on duty. So he cleaned his hands often, tied his long orange hair back, and wore dark clothes to disguise the rest of the mess.

With the backdrops handled, he slipped quietly into Stage A's seating. He had seen hundreds of Contests during his five-year job, so he hardly watched them anymore. Instead, he focused on the Pokemon and sketching them. He could sketch fast, getting recognizable portraits from Pokemon that were in near constant motion. Sometimes he needed that speed, to get samples of all four contenders in all three stages.

But not this one, he quickly realized. Ida Wheaten stepped onto the stage. One of the locals, Ida won ninety percent of the Contests she had entered. She had brought in her Milotic today.

Polaris looked down at his sketchpad and cringed. Some of the most famous works of art were of the unearthly beauty of the mysterious Milotic. However, none of those works would have used Ida's Milotic. She had been the first one Polaris had ever seen in person, and he had been enchanted by her for a little while. Then he got to know the Pokemon personally.

She was the most spoiled rotten creature that he had ever met. She was bathed and groomed every single day with the highest quality supplies: milk and honey soap, a specially designed wire hairbrush, a specially designed cloth scale polisher, floral perfumes, and so on. She expected the finest of food, turning her nose up to any poffin with the slightest hint of graininess. When around others, she acted like pure royalty and expected to be treated in that manner. The one time he had done a studio portrait of her, she had bit him when he tried to suggest a pose, then uttered a high-pitched whine when her chosen pose started to get tiring.

Still, it was his job... he sketched her mostly out of memory. As suspected, Ida's Milotic won handily.

After that, he cleaned up the drawing of the Milotic and posted it on the winner's wall. Then he went to do some work brainstorming ideas for the yearly Grand Festival. That was a little over seven months away, so he had to get down to business. He'd be asked to design floats and costumes, decorate for the special events, all the while doing everything he could to make sure he stayed in the background the whole Festival time. Somebody would try to interview him for his work at the Festival, but he'd rather keep out of the spotlight. This was surprisingly hard to do, considering the attention loving Coordinators around.

At one o'clock came what had become the highlight of his days. He signed off and went down to the dock area for lunch. There was a little place called Megan's Diner, kind of. She didn't have a sign and the menu in the window only said that it was a sandwich and soup shop. He always came at this time because the lunch crowd was drifting away.

He went up to the bar, which had a speckled green counter and silver trim. "Hey there Megan."

The blue haired owner turned and waved her spatula at him. "Oh, hi Polaris! Nice to see you. How's work today?"

"Same old, same old. How're things here?"

"Just peachy." Then she leaned over the counter. Polaris looked into her amber brown eyes and felt a flutter of excitement. What did she have to say? "But keep this on the down low: don't be ordering anything with Swiss for a few days. We got some other brand in by accident and while no customer's complained yet, I don't like it as much."

He smiled, feeling special that she would tell him about this. "All right, I'll take your word for it." He considered for a moment (because he'd been thinking of one of the Swiss sandwiches until now). "Could you get me a Cheddar Tuna Melt instead?"

She turned back to her grill. "Sure thing. What kind of soup you want today?"

"What do you recommend?"

"I've got a nice beef'n'barley over there. Hearty and good for you."

"Sure, I'll take that."

They talked over the next hour, like they always did. "There's a new Health Inspector about," Megan told him. "So of course I had to go through the fuss with Greeble all over again."

"That's got to be a pain," Polaris replied, glancing at Greeble. He was an Ariados that was always working alongside Megan. "He's very neat and never messes things up."

Over on the wall, Greeble chittered in agreement. He used one of his legs to stir a soup. Covering his body was a yellow suit; rubber 'gloves' on each of his eight legs accompanied this. This way, nothing undesirable went into the soups.

"Well I know that and you know that, and jus' about everyone else who comes around here notices it. But you know Health Inspectors: they'll catch you on any little thing they can. I even got a special license last time that certifies his kitchen training and daily detoxification routine. But the Inspector had to act like he was gonna fry my goose over Greeble."

"Are you going to get into trouble over that?"

"Oh no, he was just being blustery. Since I've got my Bug's license and certification, I passed easily. Now if only I could talk that snobby food critic into not bashing my place so much, I'd be going places in the food world."

"That guy only downplays you because you don't do anything fancy. I think you've got the best place in town." But he selfishly didn't want her to go too far into the food world, as she called it. Then they might not have time to chat every day.

Megan gave him a wide grin. Although only in her mid-twenties, she had a matronly air to her that drew Polaris' attention. Maybe it was something in the feminine way she dressed, in floral prints under her red-striped work apron. Or maybe it was in her simple style of makeup that was far from the flashiness of the female Coordinators. Or maybe just her attitude, he didn't know. She was one of his favorite people that he encountered on a daily basis. "Now I hope you aren't sweet talking me into a free lunch."

He laughed. "Of course not; I wouldn't shortchange you." He glanced at the clock, noting that it was almost two. "I've got to be going back to the Hall."

"All right. Well sorry for ranting at you today."

"It's no problem." He paid for his meal, then waved to her as he left. "See you tomorrow, Megan, Greeble."

"As always," she replied. The Ariados waved his third leg at him, then taste-tested his soup.

He went back to work, back to the hectic atmosphere of the Contest Hall. It went pretty much the same as every other day. On two more of the Contests, he could pick out the winner by the end of the first round. He went down to the Practice Hall for the second class session, where he answered questions and made quick judgments on accessories for the presentation stage. In the hall's shop, he got compliments from the buyers of his sketches, but he only felt some relief at getting rid of the drawings. And then something a little different happened.

It was the last set, a Hyper Tough contest that Ida and her Rhydon (also spoiled, but not as badly as the Milotic) would certainly win, and a Novice Cool contest. Polaris sketched the Rhydon, then slipped over to the Cool contest. There was a drastically different set of Coordinators here. The Novice and Normal ranks were filled with young Coordinators, mostly under twenty. Once the rank got to Super, though, the average age jumped to mid-twenties. By the Master Rank, there wasn't a Coordinator under twenty-five. And while there was a different face here in Novice every day, it was always the same thirty or so Coordinators in Master.

While he mused on that, he sketched out the Novice contenders. Since the Pokemon dictated the ranking, not the Coordinator, there was one Master Coordinator in the Novice contest. He had a new one, a Sealeo that was doing quite nicely. But there was one who was an obvious Novice Coordinator.

She seemed to be ten years old, with her brown hair held back by a red ribbon headband. She wore a yellow frilled shirt with an orange skirt and black shoes; maybe nice for a party, but not quite nice enough for a Contest Hall. And she had a Cardain, a cocky little creature with one of his head tuft feathers sticking out askew. Covered in bright red feathers, the tall bird Pokemon's only accessory was a gold band around its right leg. But he held himself proudly and his Coordinator's eyes sparkled with adoration.

It made Polaris smile. The Cardain was unpolished, but something about its authenticity caught his interest. The girl was unprepared, but her excitement was obvious. With a friendship that was unfortunately missing from a lot of the pampered Pokemon around here, it would be a real shame when these two lost.

And it would be 'when'. The Master Coordinator was much too good. Still, Polaris devoted most of his sketches to the cocky Cardain instead of the polished Sealeo.

After the last contest set, he returned to the artist's studio. Polaris measured out the frame to an outside piece. He was allowed to accept other commissions so long as his clients ordered through the Contest Hall's front desk. This was a portrait of the Jacobs family: an influential couple, their four children, and three of the family's Pokemon. Ordered as a French Classical, it had the family dressed up in their best clothes posing in a formal living room.

It still didn't seem right to Polaris. It was complete and good from a technical standpoint. But artistically, it didn't seem lively enough. Too polished, like Ida's Milotic. And he had done a lot of 'tweaking' and 'polishing'. The Jacobs didn't want a realistic portrait; they wanted the portrait that portrayed them in the best light. No middle-aged pudge, no wrinkles, no acne, no blemishes; it had to be an ideal image. It was expected in a few days, so he would just have to hand it over and hope it was acceptable. He would be glad to be rid of it.

Once that was finished, he considered what to do. Without an evening round, he had all the work done for today. Required, anyways. He could paint a new backdrop, but Trudy would fuss and want it exactly to her thoughts. He could paint something on his own. But he didn't know what to start with.

"Hey Polaris, got any work for me?"

He turned and saw the janitor in the doorway. He was a small man with bushy hair, accompanied by an Ambipom that carried a broom in his left tail hand and a dustbin in his right. While Trudy didn't like them around during the operating hours, Polaris thought he was a fun person to work with. "Hey Jack, Ambipom. Nah, I've got everything handled."

He smirked and shook his head. "Can't you let a guy do his job? The last artist didn't do as much as you do."

"Heh." He scratched his head. "I just like to know where my stuff is. And to not trip over anything messy."

"Ai," Ambipom stated, then swept his broom over the doorway anyhow.

"I heard you sold all the pictures tonight."

He shrugged. "That's nice, if they like them."

Jack came into the room and leaned on the cutting table. "You still think you lost your touch, huh?"

"Yes." He pointed to the Jacobs portrait. "I'm relieved to have that done, but I don't feel anything else about it. I used to get really attached to my pictures and thought it was a huge compliment when someone bought one. But now, I just can't find one I'm happy with."

"Not one?" he asked skeptically. "This one's nice. It does seem lackluster for some reason."

"You can see it. Nobody else seems to notice." He paused, then snapped his fingers. "There was one today that I really liked doing. Hang on." He searched through the day's sketchbook until he found the best picture of the girl and her Cardain. "They didn't have a chance of winning with Caleb in Novice. I felt bad for them."

Looking over the sketch, Jack smiled. "That's sweet. It was the Cool set, right? They might have won anywhere but here."

"If I were to get into Contests myself, I would get away from St. Rosaline. The odds are stacked against the new Coordinators here."

"Why don't you work on this one?" He passed the sketchbook over. "Did you hear that this girl is the Gym Leader's daughter, Arianna?"

"What, her?" He was used to seeing her as a young tomboy, not in a Contest in a feminine outfit.

"Jack!" Trudy stepped into the studio. "Would you tidy up my office? I have a meeting in an hour with some important people."

"Sure thing. Later Polaris."

"Yeah, later." He looked back to the sketches of the girl's Cardain. Maybe he could get his artistic passion back by working on this.

When the Contest Hall shut down for the day, Polaris finally left. Most nights he just went straight home for dinner, then watched TV for a few hours before bed. Tonight, there was a show going on near the beach. Not a normal show, like a concert or a comic routine. This was a traditional Arkahna ceremony, the autumn calling for Santiperra.

The Arkahn tribes were the native people of the Sea of Jasper area and they had an ancient religion from thousands of years ago. Santiperra was a legendary Pokemon that they prayed to; they called him the strength of the earth. Although Polaris didn't know much about the Arkahna religion, he knew that they held the sun as the most important power of their world, but earth was pretty important too. One would think they wouldn't allow outsiders to witness the ceremony. To tell the truth, he had only heard about it yesterday. It seemed that the group putting on this ceremony didn't mind outsiders so long as they showed respect.

He felt a tug at his shirt. "Hey, I didn't expect to see you."

Megan was there, smiling. He smiled back when he saw her. "Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you either. I was curious about this."

"Yeah, I've got some friends among the main Arkahn tribe and they invite me to a number of these ceremonies. This is always a good one. Come here."

Glad to hang out with her some more, he followed her to some of the bleachers that had been brought out here for the occasion. "What exactly is this one about?" he asked quietly.

"They're praising the blessings of Santiperra over the harvest through dance. They say that in the old days, he made his presence known in various ways, like instantly ripening green fruits. The other gods did things like that too. But that never happens now."

"That would be something to see."

The music then picked up, getting the audience to start clapping their hands in rhythm. The dancers came out dressed to represent their gods. They were in beautiful costumes: the lead dancer was in a red and gold dress with a sun mask. Following her was a woman in a black and silver dress with a moon mask. The others were grass green and sky blue, then marine blue and coral white, then deep blue and bright yellow, and finally ochre orange and sandy yellow. The last one soon took the center of the formation and did much of the dancing.

Between the clapping, the drums, and the percussion, Polaris soon found himself swept up in the beauty and excitement of the dance. The swirls of colorful cloths, the unity of the crowd's clapping, the falling of twilight, the crackle of flames… it blended into an existence in trance. This was a way to call on the spirits of the world. It reminded him of things he hadn't thought of since childhood, like his father's tenor voice addressing wayward ghosts. Come out, come out, show your self, show your form, show where you hide tonight, come out, come out…

The two dancers of the sun and moon seemed to stay real as the rest of the scene blurred into non-existence. As they danced, a whirl of sand came up around them. The sun and the moon were hidden away, but by their choice. Why? There seemed to be some great sadness. Outside the whirl of sand, a shadowy force came closer. The shadows sought the sun and the moon.

The shadows would kill the sun and the moon.

Feeling panicked, he jerked when someone touched his arm. "Oh, sorry," Megan said.

"It's okay," he said, rubbing his forehead. He wondered how his mind had drifted off like that. Looking around again, he saw no swirls of sand, no lurking shadows. Just normal people dancing in praise of the gods.

"What do you think?"

"It is amazing." The crowd was clapping as the dancers left the stage. Still feeling distant because of the strange daydream, he tried to pick a subject away from it. "This might seem a bit random, but I was thinking of adopting a new Pokemon. It's been six months."

"If you feel ready," she encouraged him.

* * *

 

A collection of lights shone along the Jasper coast, with a single bright one sweeping across the skies. St. Rosaline Port and its lighthouse were several miles ahead. In the darkness, an Arkahn man ran along a dirt path towards the port city. It was too late. He should have been there hours ago, before the sun set. But the distance wouldn't comply with his need. He still had a long ways to run.

Behind him, a thunderous clamor of hooves followed him. That was no Pokemon, though. It was dark and hateful, seeking to tear life from his body. Although few were known to roam the lands of the living, somehow the demons were finding him easily.

He knew what that 'somehow' method was. It rested under his left arm, pressing into it or his hip every so often. A white piece of glass, it was valuable and powerful. He didn't have the audacity to try using it himself, though. That was simply unthinkable; it was a sacred treasure, after all. The only person who deserved to use it was offering a large sum of money for it. He had acquired it through... possibly dubious means. But did that matter? No, not when the glass artifact was more important than some outsider's misplaced sense of ownership.

And yet, because of its very sacredness, it made him easy to track in the demons' eyes. They wanted it, either for their own use or its destruction. But he couldn't fail. His people needed it to be in the right hands, to restore the respect they were due. Yet, couldn't the distance to St. Rosaline be fairer to him?

'You could have whatever you desire for yourself, if you give it over to us.'

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, continuing on his path. An ordinary person wouldn't have been able to even dream of making this trip to St. Rosaline in one day. However, the faithful Arkahn were not ordinary people. He was a warrior. He had been trained by a Dudrio, in fighting, in running, in flying. This marathon? It was nothing.

At least, it was nothing when he wasn't being pursued by a demon. He could have fought it, in the ways taught by his master. But it was more important to get this artifact to its proper owner as fast as possible. And thus the chase had begun.

'It has been called for.' This one sounded different though. Half-asleep.

"Gah, there's more of you talking in my head?" he grouched. "I won't listen to any of you."

The glass artifact unexpectedly grew warm, glowing a milky white. He glanced at it in wonder; wasn't it only supposed to do that with a proper user, not a delivery person? As he glanced, he missed a tree root and tumbled down a steep rocky hill. He should have seen it coming and jumped. Instead, he clutched the still-warm artifact close to his chest and tried to tumble without damaging it.

For a moment, he saw the demon crashing into a tree, apparently from being hit by the milky light somehow. The man's head soon hit a rock, knocking him unconscious too. But a thought passed through his mind before it blacked out: were the gods coming back?

* * *

***

Sea of Jasper Regional Guide

Key Search: St Rosaline Port

St. Rosaline Port is a city on the western edge of the Jasper region. It is located on the northern part of the Jasper Straights, while the smaller port of Aejesk lies on the southern part. Known primarily for its famous lighthouse, St. Rosaline has been a major shipping venue for centuries. While it is an older city, it is also colonial and thus not representative of the native cultures. St. Rosaline currently hosts the Flying Gym.

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Cardain

Carden - **Cardain** -Cardonel

The Crimson Bird Pokemon

Type: Normal/Flying

Ability: Keen Eye

Description: Cardain is a slender bird that is quite tall for its weight, two feet when standing upright. It has long slender brown legs with three digits. On top of its head is a tuft of feathers that grows taller than the rest, but it is a smooth line from front to back of the top part of its head. Female Cardains are mostly tan with pink blush colorations on wings, tail, and tuft. Male Cardains are starting to take on more brilliant reds, especially on the wings; males no longer have any tan coloration, instead being a dull orange on the belly area with dark to medium reds elsewhere.

Notes: Similar to Cardens, Cardains love to show off. They take readily to battles or Contests. They remain average in terms of performance, so can easily be adapted to any battle style. Their natural talents would be in speed, then defense, then skills, lastly power. (A. Jensen)


	3. The Artifact

October 10th, year 58

The GTS building was grand in size and design. A giant globe was supported over a pool of water, lighting up where trades made recently had come from. The slate floors and domed skylights added to the grandeur. When inside, it felt like a palace. Too bad that most people just saw this as a place to get new Pokemon. The thoughtless saw the process as getting a new thing. Honestly, a trade like this should be considered something grand, for it was the goodbye for one relationship (maybe for good, maybe just for now) and hello to an entirely new one. That's what he thought, anyhow.

Polaris watched the globe spin until he saw a dot of light on the region of Hoenn. Near Fallarbor, he thought to himself. For a moment, he wondered what Pokemon had come from there and who the lucky person to get it was. However, he had no Pokemon, so he could not trade. He had come here to check the Adoption Agency.

In a way, the Adoption Agency was a sad place. It was where some Pokemon were abandoned until a new Trainer wished to take it. Why were they left behind? It could be any reason. The Pokemon could have been bred from human intervention, without the right skills for surviving in the wild. It could be from a Trainer, caught but then unwanted for any number of factors. Sometimes, it came from a trade that had fallen through and the original Trainer had never come back in to claim it. In the worst cases, there was neglect or abuse involved, and the new Trainer would need special qualifications to adopt the victim. Those cases gave Polaris a pang of sympathy, but he wouldn't be able to qualify.

There were even some Pokemon up for sale here. Buying and selling Pokemon was highly restricted, but there were certain species only available to those with money. Either one had the money, time, luck, and skill to go out deep into the wilderness to try encountering and capturing these Pokemon, or one had even more money to buy them from a rare breed hunter. Polaris scanned over a list of such Pokemon in the hallway to the Adoption Agency:

Chansey- wild-caught, app. 5 years old, $10,000

Tyrogue- wild-caught, less than one year old, $7,500

Tyrogue- bred, female, less than one year old, $15,000

Spiritomb- male, unknown age, $8,500

Magmar- with evolution item, 3 years old, $2,300

Katisp- wild-caught, male, app. 7 years old, $8,750

Smeargle- bred, female, less than one year old, $5,000

Eevee- bred, male, five months old, $7,500

Unicrypt- bred, male, six months old, $8,000

Zangoose- shiny male, wild-caught, app. 12 years old, $15,000

Dunsparse- wild-caught, female, app. 7 years old, $1,000

Ask for more information at the Adoption desk. Beware of scams.

Not that he could afford any of the ones he wanted. He went on in to the agency itself. A receptionist worked at the desk while two of her co-workers chatted in the lobby. When he came in, they paused to greet him. "Hello, welcome to the GTS Adoption Agency. Are you looking to adopt today?"

"I'm considering it," he told them.

One of them got up. "Then you're welcome to look around at our roster. We have twenty-seven Pokemon currently at this location. Although we are limited to what is available, do you have any particular kind in mind? A specific species, perhaps, or just a type?"

"I'm still thinking about it," he replied as he followed her into the pen area. "Something small, though, that wouldn't be too much trouble on my job."

"Where do you work at?" she asked. They passed by a large pen where a Tropius was soaking in the sun from a skylight. The Pokemon bent her head down and greeted them in a kindly fashion.

Polaris smiled and patted the Tropius's nose, but moved on. "The Contest Hall."

"Oh, how exciting. So something glamorous?"

"Well I'm sure my boss would prefer that," he admitted. "But it doesn't matter that much to me, really, so long as it won't ruin my drawings."

She laughed politely. "Of course. So nothing of the Fire type. Probably not Water either. Do you have any Pokemon now?"

"No, I don't. I had one, but she passed away months ago." He clutched the leaf pendant.

"I'm sorry to hear about that. Here's where the smaller Pokemon are kept. Come find me if you have any questions."

"Sure thing." He looked around the area.

It was a grassy plot with a berry bush and a small tree. Tunnels in the walls led to areas where the Pokemon could hide from human visitors if they wanted. Near the berry bush, there was a pair of black Voilbles, common mammals that had strong claws for digging and sensitive noses and whiskers for finding their way without light. Polaris wondered why they were here instead of simply being released. They were highly common in all areas of Jasper and often considered pests. Even if he had no Pokemon, he was fairly certain that he could just throw a Pokeball at a wild Voil and capture it easily, then evolve it into Voilble. This pair gave him suspicious looks and didn't seem all that friendly.

One that was friendly was a Spheal, a pale blue Water type that came rolling over to him as he was looking at the Voilbles. After rolling about so it could put its feet down, the round Pokemon looked up at him. "Ark!"

"Hi Spheal," he said, kneeling down to pat it. It snuffled his hand, but as the woman had said, he'd rather not have a Water type. It could damage his work.

He got up and walked over to the tree. The Spheal decided to roll after him. On the tree, there was a white mass of silk all tied up to the bark. It didn't move, save for a pair of eyes watching from between a slit of the thread. Was that a Silcoon or a Cascoon? Polaris could never remember which was which. A Bug type might be nice. He got close.

"Hizzzzz," the cocoon Pokemon hissed, rattling a bit.

"Oh… sorry." It might have just wanted to be left alone.

There were a few other Pokemon that wandered out, but none seemed right. There was a Ponyta, a bad choice for the Fire-type and because he lived in an apartment building. On top of the tree, there was a Carden, which was as common as the Voilbles. There was an Oddish, which might have been nice, but its next stage had an intense scent that most people disliked. There was a Geodude, which also didn't seem too keen on him. Over in the shadows, there seemed to be a Shuppet lurking around. Polaris did not like ghosts, even Ghost Pokemon. He felt bad for being so picky, but it was going to be hard for any Pokemon to take Sienna's place.

By his side, the Spheal barked as a young boy and his father came in. "Billy's dad bought him his first Pokemon," the boy said in a sulky voice.

"This is more humane," the father said. "I'm sure there'll be one in this room you'd like."

The boy rolled his eyes, but he did seem interested to see what was there. "Good afternoon," Polaris said to them.

"Good afternoon," the man said, nodding to him. "Find any interesting ones?"

"There's this Spheal here," he said, looking down at the seal Pokemon, who was looking over the boy. "It's quite friendly, but I'm afraid it won't do well with my job."

"Ar?" The Spheal looked up at him.

"Sorry, but I'm an artist. I have to be careful with water."

"It's kinda neat," the boy said. "I wanted something like the Elites have."

Polaris smiled. "Well if you don't mind Elites from another region, I know Glacia of Hoenn uses the evolutions of Spheal. Her Walrien is particularly strong, one of the toughest Pokemon of that League, I've heard."

"Really?" He seemed more interested.

For his part, Polaris felt like making things up to the friendly little guy. "Yeah. It has this move called Sheer Cold which, while it doesn't hit a lot, can instantly knock out even the healthiest Pokemon. It's a mixed Water and Ice type, which gives a wide range of moves with a type advantage backing them up."

"That's cool." The boy came over and looked more closely at the Spheal, which barked happily.

In the end, Polaris didn't find a new Pokemon, but the Spheal had left with the boy. It made him a little happy while making them very happy.

* * *

 

'You were trained in one power, but you have the potential to hold many. It is in the item you possess. Use it for your own. I can help you master it in moments. Listen, and work with me.'

The Arkahn man woke up. Instead of a wooded path, there was a white ceiling and powder blue curtain. Disoriented, he got up and looked around. Monitoring devices strapped to a band around his wrist, the thin mattress with paper lining, the spotless surface on everything, it was probably the hospital. In St. Rosaline? Hopefully. The presence of people would deter demons.

'You can deal with them easier, if you so choose.'

The tablet. Where was it? He clenched his right hand and inadvertently found it by his side. Part of his mind was disappointed to find it there. Everything had become more dangerous ever since he took claim to it, what with demonic voices talking in his head. Tempting him. He could get rid of the demons with it.

He shook his head. No, he couldn't do that. Using it improperly would draw the demons to him, allowing them to take him over. He had to get it to its proper owner. After detaching the devices, he got out of bed, finding his orange scarf, tan boots, and tan cloak by the wall.

As he finished putting them on, a nurse came through the curtain. "Sir? It's good that you've come awake, but we need to do an exam on you. Please lay back down."

"No, I have important business to attend to," he replied, brushing past her.

She grabbed hold of his shoulder with surprising power. "Sir, it's for your own good."

He punched his arm back into her shoulder; a gust of wind knocked her back, leaving her with wide eyes. "I am a proud warrior. I will do my duty, no matter what." Then he left. The other nurses on the way saw the hard glint to his eyes and stepped aside nervously.

* * *

 

As he walked to the checkout, Polaris checked over the things in his grocery basket. A bottle of milk, half a dozen eggs, a bag of sugar, some vanilla flavoring, some dried fruit, a box of rice crackers... that seemed to be everything he wanted for this errand. He put the items on the counter and smiled at the clerk. "Good evening, Lisa."

She smiled back. "Good evening, Polaris. I didn't see you at the grieving meeting yesterday."

"Arf!" her Poochenya added, wagging his tail.

Polaris patted the canine's head. "I was doing something else. But I'm doing better; I went to look into the Adoption agency today."

"Well I hope you find a new Pokemon friend." She ran the sugar through the scanner. "Doing some baking?"

He smiled slightly. "Trying to, anyhow."

"Good luck with that."

There was a spatter against the store's front window, then it began raining. "Looks like I won't have good luck with the weather. See you later."

His friend waved at him. "You too."

He ran through the evening rain, his orange hair flapping against his neck. The old winding streets of St. Rosaline were empty, as most pedestrians had scurried away for shelter. Not that long ago, he would have liked to walk slowly through this storm, listening to the rain patter against his umbrella. It was an inspiring sensation. Now he just wanted to get home with his groceries.

As he went around a right turn in the street, someone came barreling down the opposite way and collided into him. The egg carton and milk bottle both crashed onto the cobblestone, splattering glass, goop, and liquid everywhere. Polaris tried to catch himself from hitting face-first; he was successful, but his right hand got sliced by one of the bottle fragments. Next to him, the other man had landed on his side, but soon scrambled into a kneeling position. Clutching something so hard that his knuckles were white, he looked down both ways with frantic jerky motions of his eyes.

"I, I'm sorry," Polaris said, then looked down at his groceries. Hopefully he could get an exchange for this mess.

"What do you want from me?" the man shouted. The orange scarf covering up the lower part of his face was slipping, to the point that Polaris could probably identify him without it. Other articles of clothing suggested that he was one of the Arkahn from the desert area: long headgear to protect himself in sandstorms, a white cloak, and knee-high boots.

"Nothing," he replied, getting up. He held his left hand out. "Are you okay?"

Instead of accepting the help, he slipped back and stood up. "Okay? They're getting closer... they're getting louder."

"Huh?" Polaris looked down the way the man had come from, but there was no one on the street. "Is someone after you? The police station is nearby."

He clutched the item he was holding closer. It looked like a rectangular piece of glass, smoky white in color. "Who sent you here? Was it the police? I'll kill you if it was!"

Fearful, Polaris drew back. The man was crazy, so it'd be best to let him go and inform the police of his presence. "N-no, it was an accident."

The man dropped into an attack-ready stance, his scarf sliding down. He had a crooked nose and a scarred lip, as if he'd fought much of his life. "An accident? You call that an accident? That was clearly an assassination attempt!"

"I don't have any weapons," he replied, holding his hands up. His cut stung as he opened his right hand up.

"What about that?" he yelled, pointing out a piece of bloody glass.

"That was part of my groceries. I swear, I didn't mean to run into you."

Ignoring the shard of bottle, the desert man brought up his piece of glass. "You're after this, aren't you? Want to steal it from me?" The way he said it sounded like a dare rather than the frantic interrogation the meeting had been so far.

Viewing it from the backside, Polaris couldn't be sure what made that glass special. But it had to be. "What is that?"

"It's not what you think it is," he said darkly. "It's not what they said it was. Nothing like it at all. It might even be a fake. You really want it?"

This was all too weird. "I don't have a clue what that is."

"Quit lying and take it already!" the man shouted, throwing the thing at him.

Out of reflex, Polaris caught it before it hit him. He cringed as it hit his injured hand, but when he held it out for a better look, the strangest thing happened. Blood red lines began to crawl across the surface, making it look like cursed marble. When the lines stretched all over the glass, they vanished, making it smoky white again. And when he took off his right hand, the cut was completely gone.

And the man from the desert laughed. It was a startling maniacal laugh, one that echoed through the empty streets like the cry of a tortured soul. "Now you are owned by that demon glass! And they will be haunting you instead! Enjoy your madness!" Then he ran into an alleyway, laughing and hooting like he had won the lottery.

Unnerved, Polaris looked down at the glass he'd gotten in exchange for his ruined groceries. Its dimensions matched that of a standard spiral notebook. Attached to the longer sides were two ceramic wheels, both painted white. Attached to them in a fixed position was a ceramic rod, also white. A white metal chain from one of the wheels attached to something that resembled a calligraphy brush that had thin glass bristles. On the side opposite the rod, there were faint alien symbols. A strange piece of equipment, the closest thing he could match it to was a drafting table, only made fragile and portable.

What could be demonic about this?

* * *

 

After getting an exchange for his groceries, Polaris returned to his apartment. It was just a block from the Contest Hall. As an artist, it would have been impractical for him to rent a place in this neighborhood, all dazzled up to draw in the classy Coordinators. As the Contest Hall artist, he was assigned one because Trudy wanted all of her staff nearby. That was one of the things which had originally attracted him to the job.

His apartment was quiet. For a moment, he clutched the leaf pendant again. Then he went inside, got his supper, and watched TV for a while.

The first program was a talk show. With her Chatot perched on the back of her chair, the hostess a perfect image of confidence and kindliness. "We all know that your Pokemon can pick up on your habits, but did you know that Pokemon are often attracted to Trainers like them in the first place? On today's show..."

Feeling a nerve struck, he changed channels. The news was playing. "...known as Desolaire's Prophet among the Arkahns, he has been preaching efforts to cast out all outsiders from the Jasper region, returning it to an all Arkahn region. He denounced the efforts of the demonstrators, calling their efforts to integrate the old culture into the new one heretical and insulting to their prestigious..." it wasn't interesting.

He swapped shows for a while, eventually finding a battle program following a Gym over in Graystone. He had only given the League Challenge for the Sea of Jasper region fleeting thoughts. While it would be exciting, Polaris never felt that he stood a chance. He only had one Pokemon ever and while Sienna was great, she wasn't a battler.

"The battle... you will battle..."

Gasping, Polaris sat up. There seemed to be no one around, though. "H-hello? Who is it?"

"Who are you?"

The voice was coarse, like the speaker had a terribly sore throat. He got up and looked around. There were only his usual things around: art supplies, old pictures, the TV, the second-hand furniture. "I live here," he said.

"I live here," the gravelly voice replied. "I live in Jasper."

It was coming from the kitchen. When he came in, there was no one in there. There was the strange white glass, though. He approached it carefully. "Where in Jasper?"

"Secret places. Dark places." It was definitely coming from the glass.

That was why the man had called it demonic. His heart began pounding. "Wh-what do you want with me? What are you?"

"You are not finished," the voice of the glass stated. "There is no one on here. Put someone here."

He looked at the strange device. "You mean like, draw a picture of someone here?"

"Yes. Do so."

After a moment's hesitation, Polaris sat on one of the stools by the island counter. He took the brush part of the device and considered it. "I don't have any ink, and I'm not sure this glass brush will hold ink."

"Touch the glass with it."

He put the point of the brush on the glass. A black dot appeared, soon spreading out like a droplet of ink held loosely. As he pulled the brush down, a line appeared. The glass brush reacted just like a real calligraphy brush, making thick or thin lines depending on how he used it.

"These only work with each other," the voice instructed him. "Sweep the rod down to erase a mistaken drawing. Now draw someone."

"Okay, let me think." He pulled the rod down the piece of glass. The black lines disappeared as soon as it passed over them. With a clean tablet, he considered the strange device.

Without thinking much, he started to draw a Pokemon. Small feet attached to a trunk-like body. Spindly little arms with three spherical puffs at each hand. A cross branch up top and a hidden face to make it appear like a little tree. However, it was actually a Rock-type. A Sudowoodo.

Polaris touched his necklace on seeing the finished drawing. "Sienna," he said softly.

The tablet glowed brightly. As he stumbled off the stool, the glow increased, growing to about a foot in diameter. His leaf pendant began glowing too, a soft earthy brown. But it had never done so before. After a bit, the glowing popped into nothing, leaving only one thing in the kitchen changed. There on the counter was a startled looking ghost of a Sudowoodo.

For a moment, his heart went so still that he thought he had died. "Sienna?"

She pulled her green puffs away from her eyes. "Polaris?"

He went back over, putting his hands on the counter. "You can talk?"

She hopped a bit closer. "You can understand?"

"No!" the rough voice shouted, startling them both. "Not that kind of soul!"

Polaris grabbed at Sienna's ghost, only thinking afterwards that it might not work. But it did; she let him take her and run out into the hall of the apartment building. There seemed to be no one out here. He wasn't sure what to do. But when he looked back at his door, a sparkling dark spirit was passing right through it.

He ran outside, where it was still raining. He got to a light post; many spirits were repelled by light. Then he looked down at the ghost in his arms. The Sudowoodo smiled at him.

"Sienna, how did you get here?" Then he smiled. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm glad to see you again."

"Me too." But her smile didn't last long, as she got confused. "I don't know how I got here. I was called by someone. I don't understand what it was all about, but she said you needed me. I felt that you were sad, so I came. But why was I…? What is that thing and how did it get out here?"

Wondering at her question, he looked down. The glass tablet was leaning against the lamppost. He shook his head. "I don't know. I got it from some stranger tonight. He acted like it was valuable. It must be powerful too."

Sienna put her hand puffs to her mouth. "I don't think that voice belonged to that thing. The voice belongs to some distant soul, trying to contact you through it. What did it tell you?"

"That is not the soul I wanted," the spirit called, enraged. "She is too innocent to be useful to us." It launched a beam of black energy at them.

Polaris managed to stumble out of the way, but the ghost disappeared. "Sienna!"

"I'm still here," she replied. The leaf pendant glowed brown again. "Take it and get somewhere safe."

"Send her away," the spirit demanded. "I can grant you power, but not through her."

It was an easy choice. He grabbed the tablet and ran. With a roar, the spirit pursued him. He heard it launch another attack at him, but didn't know which way to dodge it. The pendant flashed, creating a yellow shield around them. That didn't seem like one of Sienna's skills. Maybe she had some new ones as a ghost.

Cutting through alleyways and across empty streets, he headed right to the church on Pearl Avenue. The lights were on; he heard before that the priest lived here, but hadn't met him in person yet. As he approached, he saw the man in the open doorway. The gray-haired man was apparently watching the storm, but he waved to Polaris. "Young man?"

Polaris ran up the steps, skipping a few. Before he reached the priest, there was a colossal shattering as the evil spirit crashed into the protective aura of the church. He stumbled, but the priest came forward and grabbed his arms. "S-something…" he stammered out.

The older man clapped his shoulders. "You don't have to explain. Come inside for the night."

He nodded. "Thank you. I haven't seen something like that since I was a child."

"I've never seen any since before this year," the priest replied. "But then that's not the first. I'll give you a blessing; perhaps it will deter them from making this a habit."

He was brought into the priest's office and given a prayer asking for the blessings of Arceus. Then he was shown to a room in the basement. It was very simple, not even as much as a Pokecenter would have given him. Before the priest left, he showed him the glass tablet. "Is there anything about this that might have caused problems?"

The priest took it. Polaris felt a twinge of anxiety about letting it go. But why? It could have gotten him possessed by demons. But then it vanished from the priest's hands and appeared on the bed by Polaris.

"I think that it was made with the blessing of a powerful Pokemon," the priest said. "Maybe even more than one. The demons are jealous of that kind of power. While it may draw them, I have a feeling that if used properly, it can deter or even vanquish them."

With that assurance, he thanked the priest again and said good night. He sat on the bed to look at the tablet again. Made with the blessing of a powerful Pokemon…

Sienna appeared after the door latched shut. "I was right, it wasn't from that tablet. But I've never been able to sense aura before, or hide like that. It feels so strange."

"Maybe it has something to do with you being called back from death." His stomach twisted in anxiety as he said it. She was dead… but she was here. Was it her, or was it some deceptive spirit? He touched the green puffs on her hands; they felt like he remembered her being, like a pocked piece of pumice. "You're not going to be here for long, are you?"

"I don't know how long I have to be here." She clutched his hand, like she used to when afraid. "Death?"

His mouth went dry. "Yes. You died."

…April 9th, year 58

It was an oddly quiet morning. Polaris put a work shirt on, then looked across the bedroom. Sienna slept while standing in a green box with dirt in it; that was how the Sudowoodo liked to sleep. "Sienna, get up. We have errands to run before work."

She didn't respond, so he went over and petted her. Her false-bark skin, usually cool and rough, was warm. And now that he was closer, she seemed to be having difficulty breathing. She had gone to sleep early last night, but he had thought nothing of it. This wasn't normal though. He went to his dresser and dug out her Pokeball, then recalled her to take her to the Pokecenter.

Three hours later, the doctor said there was nothing that could be done for her. Polaris stood by her bed and she slipped away.

…October 10th

"I don't remember anything like that," Sienna's ghost said. She patted his hand. "I didn't want to leave you alone."

"I know," he said, wiping his eyes. He looked down at her; she watched him in loving concern. There had been long periods of time where he had been alone except for her. Polaris liked to think that he cared more deeply about Pokemon in general because this one cared so much for him. "I haven't been fully alone, but it's not been the same. I don't like most of the stuff I draw or paint anymore and my job has become such a chore. I feel like some washed up sellout, not an artist. But I'm only twenty-three. My career can't be over already. I just don't know what to do about it. And I feel so much like a stranger around here, which shouldn't be. I've lived here for almost ten years. I'm lost, I guess, and things seem rather bleak. And I'm not like that… you know."

She closed her eyes. "So that's what she meant."

"What's who meant?"

She smiled again, clasping his thumb when he patted her. "It's okay, Polaris, your art will come back to you. And I can help you, protect you more than I could in life. For my best friend, I'll do all I can."

Polaris lowered his eyes. "But you're a ghost. I'm sure you can't stick around much longer. Unless, are you going to turn into a ghost Pokemon?"

Sienna shook her head. "It's too late for me to do that. But keep this." She tapped the leaf pendant, which had come from her. "If I understand right, that tablet can do wondrous things. But promise me you'll use it for good. The spirit trying to reach you through it grows powerful off of evil and will overtake you if you use the tablet in the wrong manner."

"I promise Sienna, that whatever that thing can do, I'll use it for good things."

"Okay. As I said, I can't help you much longer." She looked sad for a moment, then brightened. "But I can say goodbye this time. And, the one who spoke to me first, she wants to help you too. I'm sure we can trust her." She closed her eyes. "Garnet, come forth. We will help you as you help us."

A red light appeared, then formed into a small Pokemon. This Garnet was partly hominoid, a slender body of black skin with six arms. On top of her head, she had a helmet growth in deep jewel tone red, sweeping back in a wide arc. She seemed to be sitting in a long crescent shaped blade. But it seemed that her legs were actually connected to the blade, growing from the outer thighs, then up and around her body until it hung just in front of her forehead. The blade was the same red as her helmet.

"I will do all that I can," the small strange Pokemon said. "I have heard your wish."

"My wish?" Polaris asked.

"You wanted your life to get better. I will do all I can towards that end."

Could she do that? He wasn't sure what she was. Even so, "How are we to help you?"

She nodded to Sienna. "She has helped me already. As for you… helping you will help myself. That is all."

Polaris looked over her. "I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but what are you Garnet? I've never seen anything like you."

She was quiet for a moment. "I don't deserve to be acknowledged by my true name yet," she said in a tone of sadness. "I have not yet been forgiven. But, I have been atoning my mistakes. Please understand. Garnet is just… something simple, to work with."

"I see." He smiled. "Well, I'm sure we can trust you. You brought Sienna back to say goodbye, and you're in this holy place."

"Yes, thank you." Garnet looked to Sienna. "You may stay until midnight, but then you must move on. Your soul is pure and good, so you will be granted a blessing for your next life. Do not be afraid."

"I know everything will be okay now," the ghost replied. Then she looked up to Polaris. "Just don't give up. And there is something I've always wanted to tell you. It's just, well…" she thought on it.

"What is it?" he asked, petting her.

"I always thought it was strange, when you left Hoenn," she finally said. "The last thing I remember back there was losing a battle. When I came out next, you were acting strangely. And you got sick too. Remember? When you first arrived here, you were ill and it took you so long to recover. I still think that was related."

"You think so?" He thought it over himself. "It was a rough time. But you helped me through it. You were always there, and I'm grateful."

"I don't really know what happened then," Sienna admitted. "And I know you don't like thinking about it. But you probably should. What you told me about then just doesn't make sense."

"I know it doesn't. That's why I left."

"Are you sure?" Then she laughed at herself. "But I shouldn't be making you feel bad now. I'll be gone after tonight, but I do love you as my dearest friend."

"Thanks. And it's good to know that you'll be blessed for this life. It's bad that you were taken so suddenly, but," he smiled, even though he was crying again. "You'll always have a place in my heart, no matter what happens. And I'll make the best of this situation…. Thing, spriit, whatever you've helped bring to me."

"I believe in you," Sienna said.

Not long after, they had to say goodbye. Garnet seemed absorbed in some thought, but she stayed quietly nearby as Sienna left and Polaris decided to go to sleep. Then she vanished to a pure spiritual form and went to rest in the leaf pendent.

* * *

Sea of Jasper Regional Guide

Key Search: Arkahna

Arkahna refers generally to the culture, religion, and history of the native people of the region, known as the Arkahns. The religion centers around six legendary Pokemon: the Sky Twins Desolaire and Lunarium, along with their followers Misaillo, Santiperra, Zepharia, and Hu-kyo. As it greatly emphasizes respect for Pokemon, many Arkahns have been against the Pokemon League system and the use of Pokeballs. They have relented in recent times, allowing for the establishment of a League in their home region. Some conservative Arkahna pockets still do not like outsiders and their ways.

Jasper Pokedex

Key Search: Voilble

Voil - **Voilble**

The Digger Pokemon

Type: Normal

Ability: Run Away, Quick Digger (the move Dig takes half as long to work)

Description: Voilble is a bulky rounded Pokemon with a more aggressive poise. It has white rings around its small black eyes. Its normal expression is like a sneer. It still keeps low to the ground. As its fur is thin and transparent, its main color is the black skin, which blends into dark soils. (based off a vole)

Notes: While Voilble is normally considered a pest, the qualities that make it such make it a decent choice for a battle Pokemon. It can inflict status effects on its foe, then defeat it at its own pace. A Voilble makes a good option for a young Trainer, but its aggressive tendencies make it one you should capture yourself, so that you start with a good loyalty base. (J. Short)


	4. Appraising a Gift Pokemon

October 12th, year 58

At noon on a slow day, Polaris left the Contest Hall with the Jacobs portrait under a canvas cover. It was an unwieldy size, three feet by two feet, which meant that he had to excuse himself from running into other pedestrians on the way. Thankfully, he arrived at the home without dropping the picture and only bumping into a Mareep.

The Jacobs mansion was impressive, professionally decorated and cleaned. It felt a bit cold to be a home, he thought again, with a number of objects pleading not to be touched for fear of breaking. Because of this, their Pokemon were well-trained. Mrs. Jacobs' Delcatty kept perfectly in step with her and sat demurely by her side as Polaris revealed the painting.

"I worked hard at it," he lied. It had been such a chore to get it precisely to their standards that he did as little work as he could on it. "I hope you like it," which was the truth.

"It's wonderful," she said, clasping her hands together. "It's exactly what I asked for. Thank you."

It was pretty much only what she had asked for. "You're welcome."

"It will look lovely in the dining room. You know, I've thought about the payment we agreed on. Would you consider remaking the deal? It would be for around the same amount."

Wondering what she had in mind, he asked, "What are you thinking?"

She brought her hand up gracefully, holding onto a black and yellow Luxury Ball. "I've noticed that you don't have a Pokemon of your own. On the other hand, I have Delia to keep me company."

He glanced down and noticed a soft red glow around Sienna's pendant. It vanished almost as soon as he saw it, though. While he didn't see Garnet much, sometimes he saw this glow of hers. "Yeah... the one I had died a few months back."

"That's terrible. It so happens that last month, my sweet older son sent back a rare Pokemon he had acquired for me. It's a Smeargle."

Polaris blinked. Was she really going to offer him a Smeargle? That was the most artistic Pokemon in the natural world, or so it was thought. It was said that artists with a Smeargle partner often worked masterpieces. However, they were rare and difficult to catch.

Mrs. Jacobs looked down at the ball. "He is a sweet one, but I'm afraid that he's not very happy living here with me. I do some art, but only as a hobby and simple little things like painting cute flowers. He really deserves to be with a true artist, like you. How about I take 500 dollars off the agreed fee and give you little Picasso along with the cash payment?"

Last he'd checked, Smeargles were selling for far more than 500 dollars. "That would be great, Mrs. Jacobs. I'll take that."

"Wonderful. I'm sure you both will get along." She handed over the ball. "I think he's out and about somewhere."

He took it and checked the status screen. The symbol on the upper-left corner indicated that the Smeargle was out. "It's probably best I go find him first. Where would he be?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe in the craft room. Delia?"

The Delcatty sniffed the air, then padded out to an inner hall. Mrs. Jacobs and Polaris followed her. Behind a large potted plant, the artist spotted a green-tipped tail brush lying on the floor. Why was he hiding?

"Picasso?" Mrs. Jacobs stepped ahead of him. "Picasso dear, I've got some good news... aaaaaah!"

At her scream, Polaris hurried forward. The Smeargle got up as he did, holding onto a bloody steak knife. The left side of his head was matted in blood. Making a soft clicking sound, he looked up at her.

"Where'd you get that knife?" Mrs. Jacobs asked, her face paling.

Picasso looked hazy in his black eyes and he mumbled on. From what Polaris could see, he was feeling dismal even without the pain. He handed her the knife and his left ear before passing out. Mrs. Jacobs looked at the ear, screamed again, then passed out too.

This was the Smeargle he was getting? Polaris felt his blood turn cold as he summoned Picasso into his Pokeball. A servant was soon in the hall to call the hospital, so he took the ear and ran to the Pokecenter.

* * *

 

After the Center's doctor had taken Picasso in back to check on him, Polaris activated the phone feature of his arm computer and called the Contest Hall receptionist. "Yes, this is Polaris. Can you get Gertrude for me?"

"I'll page her right away. Please hold." Pretty piano music began to play.

Slumping back into the couch, he mentally went over the afternoon and evening schedule. The only actual Contest going on would be a Smart Super around three-thirty, with the rest of the day being devoted to practice sessions, classes, and a meeting. From what he recalled of the sign-up list for the Super, there wouldn't be any intriguing art possibilities.

The piano music cut off sharply. "Hello Polaris, what's the matter?"

"Hey Trudy, I have to take the afternoon off. It's an emergency."

"Oh, all right. I have no problem with it. Do you mind saying what?"

"Um, it's complicated. I'll explain later."

"I trust you. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Right, thank you."

As he hung up, Mr. Jacobs came into the Center. Odd. Shouldn't he be checking on his wife in the hospital? Polaris watched as the chubby businessman went straight for the counter, scaring off a worried-looking young teen. "Excuse me, but I believe there is some mix up going on here."

"How may I help you, Mr. Jacobs?" the nurse on receptionist duty asked with a fake smile. From her eyes, Polaris could tell that she didn't want to be talking with him.

"I received a call from you not that long ago that one of my family's Pokemon was placed in emergency care. However, my wife has informed me that she traded that Pokemon to someone else just today. I hope I'm not about to get billed for this."

Polaris felt his mouth go dry when he heard this. While normal healing was cheap, emergency care could be quite expensive. It shouldn't be as bad because a Smeargle was a Normal type, and therefore far easier to treat than others. Even beyond being able to pay for it, he could get into a lot of hot water for having his new Pokemon suffer a self-inflicted injury. The Sea of Jasper law enforcement was extremely strict on Pokemon abuse cases.

"Are you speaking of the Smeargle? ID 68392, OT 11758?"

"That should be him."

"I'm sorry, but he's still registered to your wife. No part of the official trade process has gone through."

"What? But she said that she gave away that obnoxious Pokemon!"

"We have no records of this trade, Mr. Jacobs. Responsibility to his well-being still lies with you and your wife."

"Can you get this trade recognized, and quickly?"

"We need your wife here as the Smeargle is registered to her."

"Fine. We'll be back in an hour. Everything had better be ready to go." Mr. Jacobs then stormed out.

Nurse Joy took a deep breath, then looked over to him. "I'm sorry. But would you go down to the Union Room Trade Office and get things started?"

Polaris' mind was still reeling between the bloody scene, being told that the Smeargle was sweet, and overhearing that he was obnoxious. "Um..."

"Don't worry; you won't be responsible for the bills of this injury. It happened while under their care."

"Okay. I'll go work on it."

He went downstairs and located the trade office. "Before we get started, there is one thing I'd like to speak to you about," the official said. "This Smeargle has something of a bad reputation."

"Is he a troublemaker?"

"Not exactly." She leafed through papers, bringing a clipped set out. "He's been described as a difficult Pokemon to handle, with a strong will and a penchant for being over-dramatic. He's been traded twenty-three times over the course of his twenty-six year life."

"Does that mean he's old?" At least, he'd be older than Polaris. He took the set of papers and glanced at them. The top paper was a professional looking breeder certificate from Johto. This was followed up by police reports, Pokecenter records, and psychologist notes. Somehow, he didn't think that much was typical.

"No. In captivity, Smeargles have been known to live well past sixty years, so he's still in good battling condition. He seems to get frustrated and depressed easily, thus leading to extreme behaviors to get attention. This is the first time he's given himself a near lethal injury, though not the first self-inflicted. I've noticed that you've only trained one Pokemon so far. This case might be more than you can handle."

Polaris looked down, thinking just that. If Picasso had been traded that many times when his species was rare and desirable, how did he expect to do any better than the rest of them? But then he noticed a red glow around the leaf pendant. Maybe Garnet had led him to Picasso. Maybe he should give it a shot.

He looked back at the trading official. "Um, just wondering, but has he been trained by any other artist?"

"Hmm..." she looked down and scanned through the papers. "I don't believe so. None like you that have it listed as a primary occupation on their Trainer ID, or even a secondary."

"If he gets frustrated and depressed a lot, maybe it's because he hasn't been around another artist. Besides, he'll be my only Pokemon most likely, so he won't need to go to extremes to get my attention."

"That could be. So long as you're aware that you're getting into a tough relationship; I want you to be ready so that this Smeargle can be the best he can be."

* * *

 

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs were not pleased to learn that they would be held fully responsible for Picasso's injury. They called in their lawyer, so the Pokecenter brought in theirs. Polaris sat by quietly as the two legal masters dueled it out with words and papers. While doing so, he sketched a picture in his mind of a fanciful lawyers' duel, with briefcase shields and pen foils. He wasn't known for parody or sarcastic images, but it was a tempting idea.

The trading official got their attention by waving her hand. "The doctor told me that they're moving the Smeargle out of intensive care."

"That's good," Polaris said, glancing at the lawyer, then looking up. The Pokecenter lawyer nodded and made a subtle movement with his hand. It would be okay. "I'll go check on him."

"If that man is going to take responsibility, let him pay for the expenses," Mr. Jacobs said.

"He obviously cares for the Pokemon in question," the Pokecenter lawyer countered. "But you have shown no worry or concern for the patient."

The door shut, cutting him off from the argument. He was relieved to be out of that room; the lawyers muddled up his mind, with one seeming to want him in trouble with the other wanting to keep him safe. Hopefully his trust in the Pokecenter lawyer was well placed.

As he started upstairs, his computer rang, signaling an incoming call. It wasn't a number he recognized, but it did seem to be local. He put the call through. "Hello, this is Polaris."

"Hi Polaris, it's Megan from the diner."

"M-Megan? This is a pleasant surprise. How'd you get my phone number?"

"When you didn't show up today, I called my dad, who gave me the number. I hope that's all right."

"It's fine. I had an emergency come up and I've been busy."

"What happened?"

He wouldn't tell his boss; she had certain ideas about things and he didn't always agree with her. But Megan had listened to him often enough, as had he her. "Well I went to deliver a painting this morning and was offered a Smeargle as part of the payment."

"Really? That's great."

"Yeah, I was pretty amazed. But then there's something wrong with the Smeargle; he cut off his ear and I had to rush to the Pokecenter to get him taken care of."

"Oh no. How is he?"

"They just pulled him out of surgery, so I guess he must be all right. I was just about to check on him. I might be here most of the day, partly because the former Trainer doesn't want to pay the hospital bill, so I have to deal with lawyers negotiating the matter. Normally, I'd be okay since he was owned by them when the injury happened, but they're rich and influential."

"That's got to be a hassle. Well I'll let you go to check on your Smeargle. I hope this isn't too severe."

"Yeah, me too. Thanks for calling."

"No problem."

Polaris added her number to his address book, then asked the nurse about Picasso. He was allowed into the backroom where seriously injured Pokemon were taken. A helpful Chansey led him to a curtained off area in the middle of the east wall. According to his native preferences, Picasso had been placed in a square bed with eight inch tall sides, so he could curl up into a secure position. Various monitors were attached to his arms, while an IV needle had been inserted in the left shoulder. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his head. While his right ear stuck out, his left was still missing.

Queitly, Garnet appeared above the hospital bed. "The technology of this age is so fascinating."

"It is," Polaris agreed. "Did you lead me to him?"

"This Smeargle? I tweaked some possibility… yes."

"Possibility? You can do that?"

"Well you won't be able to use me for battles," Garnet answered vaguely, looking aside. She seemed ashamed. "Or around others. I shouldn't be seen by too many people. And when I felt the potential, I thought it would be a good thing."

"It could be, although he will be tough to work with." He looked around. "You know, this was the last place Sienna was during her life. But that was a sudden illness, not like this. And what the official said sounded like this might not be the last time he'll be here."

"Everyone is different…" Garnet abruptly tensed. Then she vanished.

The curtain shifted, allowing a white haired doctor in. Polaris nodded at him. "He's going to be all right?"

"Mostly. We couldn't reattach his ear. Some Pokemon are known to..." he pushed his glasses back, thinking, "to make themselves heal slowly, or reject attempts to help them. Particularly when they're feeling depressed and disliked. It complicates any operation."

"I see. Will it affect his hearing?"

"Most likely. We'll be sure to test that before we release him. So you're his new Trainer?"

"Right."

He fiddled with his glasses. "Good luck to you. Excuse me." He moved on to other work.

That was said in a rather dismal manner, Polaris thought. For a few minutes, he stayed by the Smeargle's bed, thinking. He touched the beret on Picasso's head. It turned out to be a growth of longer hair. Maybe people trimmed it up so it looked more like the actual hat. It was hard to tell with his head bandaged up. On the brush end of the Smeargle's tail was a paper wrap. This kind of Pokemon produced green oil that acted like paint from the tip of their tail. This was probably the hospital's means of preventing stains on their equipment.

Since he wasn't reacting, Polaris left the room for the lobby. To his surprise, Megan was sitting on one of the couches. She smiled at him. "Hey, I brought you lunch."

"Really? I didn't ask for that."

"But I brought some anyhow. My treat." She pushed over a sandwich box and a soup cup. There was a second set with her, along with a box for her Pokemon. Greeble took his box and opened it up for some Bug Chow.

Polaris sat down by her, trying not to blush. "Thanks Megan."

"Hey, you're one of my good friends; I don't mind. Besides, the number of times I've dealt with lawyers or legal people," she rolled her eyes. "It's nice to get a break from that."

"Technically, they're still down there arguing things. I don't think they've even got the trade finished."

After an hour of eating and talking with Megan, the trade officer came up to tell him that the trade was finished and the negotiations pretty much done. And that the Jacobs had to pay for the entirety of Picasso's hospital bill.

* * *

 

There was a body on the rocky coast outside of St. Rosaline. A man of the desert, his orange scarf was hanging loosely and his tan cloak was covered in sea debris. From his decomposed state, he had been there a few days.

Five Arkahn men stood near him. "Where's the Transcriber?"

"Not on him."

"You're certain he was the delivery man?"

"Yes."

They looked down at him. "We need to find the artifact. It can only be transferred by blood, so keep your weapons at hand."

The other four agreed and they split up for a faster search.

* * *

 

October 26th, year 58

It was two weeks before the Pokecenter would release Picasso. Polaris went to visit him at least once a day, to get to know him. Or just get used to him. However, the Smeargle seemed to be depressed still and would often ignore him. Then after a few days where Picasso seemed to liven up when Polaris came to visit, the doctor let him go to his new home. His hearing was damaged in his left ear. According to the doctor's estimate, his overall hearing had been reduced about thirty percent. The end of his fragmented ear was currently bandaged in white cloth.

Polaris watched him as they walked down the cobblestone streets. In order to make sure he'd stay close, he held onto the Smeargle's right paw. The Pokemon grumbled every now and then, but he wanted to look around, which was a good sign for his emotional recovery.

Feeling a need for conversation, Polaris said, "I don't own a bike. Everything I could need or want is around here, just about, so I walk all the time."

"Ouuu," he called softly, sniffing the air as they walked past a bakery. The chosen special among breakfast breads was lemon poppy.

"Sometimes I get breakfast from them, but I have a lot to do this morning at work."

"Hmpf." He kept looking around.

Pausing to let a trolley roll by, Polaris leaned over. "You know, I was thinking... I hope this doesn't sound rude, but you do know that it was Vincent van Gogh who cut off his ear, not Pablo Picasso, right?"

The Smeargle abruptly turned to face him, wide-eyed.

"Picasso painted scenes of revolution and the cruelty of war. But you did get the right ear. I mean, the left... I'm sure you know."

"Krii!" he squealed happily, then hugged him tightly around the waist.

Amused yet bewildered by this, Polaris patted him on his furry beret. "Then you do. But let's just keep it to that with imitating the madness of some artists, okay?"

Picasso didn't respond to that, but he seemed pleased for the rest of the walk. As they approached the Contest Hall, he seemed quite attentive. "Kruu?"

"I'm the main artist here," he explained. "Which involves more miscellaneous chores than I initially knew about."

As they entered, the only people there were the receptionist and Trudy. A normal start to the day, Polaris thought. The receptionist smiled at them. "Good morning, Polaris. Is this your new Pokemon?"

He nodded. "Yes, this is Picasso. I won't have him out and about much at first, as I'm not sure how he'll respond to the crowds."

Trudy wrinkled her nose at him. "I hope you don't intend on entering Contests with him. He wouldn't get a point with his ear missing like that."

In response, Picasso frowned at her and made a grumbling noise.

"He's going to be sketching with me, I hope."

If he was going to be alone, like checking on the backdrops or framing in the studio, Polaris let Picasso be out with him. He did pretty well, although the artist made sure the blade of the cutting board was securely locked down if he wasn't using it. For a couple of hours, the Smeargle amused himself by drawing on scraps with his tail.

For the actual Contests, Polaris kept Picasso in his ball. He did let the Pokemon meet some of the people he worked around or with daily. Jack and his Abipom were pleased to meet him, although the encounter with Ida and her Milotic wasn't good. "You have a crude Pokemon," Ida sniffed when Picasso mocked the Milotic by pretending to have flabby fatty skin.

"I'm sorry," Polaris said nervously. "I'll try to curb his behaviors."

"I'd suggest you get some badges for enforced obedience, but I doubt you could manage," she said haughtily. "Come on, dear."

"Hpmf," the Milotic said. She spun around, but as they walked off, she sniffed at her Trainer's bag to see if any treats were inside.

"Honestly, I don't see why that Pokemon is beautiful," Polaris said to his Pokemon slyly. "But Ida's a big influence in the Contest Hall, so we have to treat them well."

Picasso rolled his eyes, then stuck his tongue out at Ida, waggling his fingers in an insulting gesture.

Megan seemed to like him. "He's a funny little character, that's for sure."

"Yeah... stop putting your nose in the soup," he chided Picasso, nudging him back a bit. "I know it's good, but you don't need to inhale it that way."

He blubbered in the chicken broth, then looked up and smiled.

* * *

 

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Garnet, a red and black hominoid Pokemon with a curved blade and six arms.

Pokedex search has found no matches.


	5. Adrian, the Aerial Trick Master

November 22nd, year 58

After work, Polaris hurried home and turned on the TV. It was time for the annual League Championship battles. The top Trainers in the Sea of Jasper regional league were invited to Horizon Island where, so long as they had all eight Gym badges, they could compete for the chance to face off against the League's Elite and standing Champion. If a Trainer won all those battles, he or she would become the new Champion.

It was one of the biggest dreams of young people all around the world, to become a regional Champion. Champions were quite famous and were guaranteed great jobs the rest of their lives. Of course, the Trainer had to have an excellent team in the first place. Polaris only kept one Pokemon at a time. Still, he enjoyed watching the battles.

The competition was arduous. Horizon Island was a half-natural half-manmade maze spreading over a hundred acres in the western part of the Sea of Jasper. The initial challenge was two-fold: find the way from the docks to the stadium without using the tram system and defeat at least ten opponents made up of the other challengers in the maze. There were a handful of Pokecenters in the maze, and all challengers had a tracking device. If an emergency came up, the Trainers could be teleported back to the dock or the nearest Center for immediate attention. The trackers also kept track of how many wins and losses the competitors had.

Today, they were starting the maze battles. This would last a week. At the end of the week, however many challengers met both criteria would battle in the Championship Stadium against the Jasper Elite Four and the current Champion. Although fifty competitors was considered average turn-out, usually only two or three managed to last to the stadium battles.

Polaris watched a few of the competitors in early battles. Through his job, he had learned to pick winning Coordinators early in a Contest. Or pick out who would win if not for the skewed judging of St. Rosaline. Through his earlier extracurricular schooling in the Hoenn region, he was able to discern potential winners in this battle competition. Some of it was the same. The Trainer's response to pressure was a telltale sign, but so was the relationship between the Trainer and the Pokemon. Logic and strategy could take a Trainer far, but the little extra effort put forth by a loving Pokemon could turn strategy on its head.

During one of the qualification matches, a crumpled up piece of paper hit him in the head. "Don't be throwing," then he noticed what Picasso had. "Hey, that's my work folder! Don't mess up those drawings!"

The Smeargle scowled at the next drawing, of an Aron competing in the Tough class. He made a disapproving noise before yanking it out of the folder and dropping it to the floor.

Polaris got up and tried to snatch the folder from him. "You should know better than this." But the Pokemon was quite strong, not giving the folder up. "I need to keep those."

Defiant, Picasso tossed out another drawing. He almost got the next, but paused to look at it as Polaris continued struggling to get his folder back. "Ooo..." He let go.

The young man crashed to the floor. "Ow... what's gotten into you?"

In a blink, the Pokemon was by his side, jabbing the picture with his forefinger repeatedly. It was one of his pictures of Arianna and her Cardain. In this one, the bird was flying down towards her, while she had her arms opened up to him.

"That? They didn't win, but I was more interested in them than the winner. I was thinking of making a painting of this."

Picasso nodded with great enthusiasm. Then he pointed to the pictures he had thrown out and shook his head. He waved his paw away.

"I know they're not as good. I'm afraid that I've lost my touch for a while now. None of them seem good enough. This is close; it grabs me like my old paintings did. But most of what I'm doing now is that stuff." He gestured out to the scattered pages.

Shaking his head again, he crossed his arms in a wave. Not good enough. He tapped the Cardain picture. This was what he had to do.

"Geez, I had to get an art critic for a Pokemon, didn't I?" He got up. "But you are one of the few who agrees with me that most of these aren't worth it. I just wish I felt like I did about art years ago."

Picasso patted the Cardain picture again, then pointed to the TV.

"What, work on sketching those Pokemon?"

He nodded.

"I'm not even in the maze with them. Although, I suppose it couldn't hurt." He took an empty sketchbook back to his chair and began sketching as he watched.

* * *

November 26th, year 58

During the week of the Championship battles, little else was shown on TV. Polaris got a lot of drawing in, having to go out and buy two new sketchbooks. One was for Picasso; he wanted to know what the Smeargle would do when given some pencils and paper. He came back in and checked his bedroom, where he had left him asleep. Picasso wasn't on his cushion.

He worried for a moment, mentally going over where anything sharp in the house was. He had locked most of them away while Picasso had been in the Pokecenter. But it would only take a momentary lapse to leave something harmful out where the capricious Pokemon could get it.

In the kitchen, he found Picasso holding onto the white tablet. With a frustrated look in his eyes, he tried marking on the tablet with a black sharpie marker. Nothing happened.

"Careful with that," Polaris said, putting his shopping bag down. "I don't know exactly how fragile it is."

"Hmpf." He tossed it onto the floor. Polaris' heart skipped a beat while it was in the air. But the tablet just clattered harmlessly on the wood.

He pulled the pad and bag of pencils out of the shopping bag. "Here, I got these for you."

Making a pleased sound, Picasso took them and opened the pencil bag right up. They were unsharpened. Gently, he took one out and began gnawing on the end to make a point.

"I can use the sharpener if you want." When he didn't respond, Polaris picked up the tablet. "I'm not sure what this is. I mostly forgot about it while you were injured."

Picasso paused in his pencil gnawing to glare at the tablet.

He sat on the floor so the Pokemon could watch. "Here, I know it can do this." He took the glass brush and ran it down the tablet. A thick black line appeared.

Eyes wide, the Smeargle scrambled over. He pawed at Polaris' hand. His nose was barely a foot from the tablet.

"Okay, but be careful." He handed the glass brush to him.

Picasso touched the end to the tablet and made a circle. Nothing appeared. Growling, he handed the brush back to Polaris.

"That's odd." He copied the circle and had one appear. "I was bleeding when I took it, and my cut healed right up. I guess it must be connected to me in that way." He ran the rod over the surface to erase the marks.

Torn between interest and irritation, Picasso continued watching as if he could catch some trick to the thing. So Polaris drew a flower with long petals and pistols. The Smeargle nodded in approval of the drawing, but kept his eyes on the tablet.

The artist put his hand on the tablet. "It is a nice little lily."

In response, the drawing began glowing. The light emerged from the tablet, like water spilling over an edge. When it reached midair, it turned solid. A second after he said the flower's name, a fragrant white lily dropped into his lap.

"Ko," Picasso said, greatly impressed.

"How did it do that?" He picked up the lily and felt a gentle resistance, like a real flower petal. "It looks just like my drawing." He held it out to Picasso.

Picking it up gingerly, the Smeargle sniffed it. He prodded each of the petals and then nipped the tip of one of them. As far as he could tell, it was just like one snipped from a garden. He handed the flower back.

"So you can make flowers," a small female voice said.

Clicking because he was startled, Picasso stood up straight. Then he leaned in and sniffed Polaris' pendant. The human took it in hand. "Garnet, do you know how it works?"

"If you draw and speak the name, some items can be created," she replied. "I sense untapped potential. As your skill with this brush grows, you'll be able to create better things. For now, it's just flowers and some ghosts."

"I see. Still, creating flowers from a drawing... that's pretty spectacular."

Picasso tapped the pendant. "Eh?"

"That came from my first Pokemon," he explained. "A Sudowoodo that I named Sienna. But she died eight months ago. She called in this spirit, Garnet, to help me."

"Hmm?" The Pokemon stood back up.

"It's nice to have you in good health," Garnet told him politely.

"I don't know much about her." He looked at Picasso. "But she had a hand in bringing us together. So don't disappoint her."

He went to pick up the lily, but it faded away to nothing.

* * *

November 30th, year 58

At the end of the Championship week, Polaris had Arianna's painting done. It was her on the lit stage raising her hands up to her Cardain. The gold band on the bird's foot glistened, as did their eyes and a little heart necklace the girl wore. The background was subdued and dark, allowing the focus to be on the pair. Although her clothes weren't fancy and his feathers weren't quite pristine, Polaris had worked to make them as glamorous as any Coordinator pair.

He was pleased with the result. Picasso gave it his approval, so they took an afternoon off from the Contest Hall to deliver it. However, Polaris wasn't sure how to handle this. He hadn't been asked to do this painting, or even a drawing. They might not be interested in buying it. But he couldn't sell it to a dealer without them knowing that it existed. Plus, they might not be happy that he did this without asking permission.

St. Rosaline's Gym was just north of the city. There was a natural plateau outside of city limits that the Leader had decided to use. A wooden gate at the bottom of the plateau's cliff greeted visitors instead of a standard building. The rustic wooden sign had subtle tool work, angles and scratches that told Polaris that the sign was indeed crafted instead of machined. Black letters stated this was 'St. Rosaline Gym. Leader Adrian Jenson- the world's top trick avian Trainer!'

"Adrian's team is full of air show champions," Polaris told Picasso as they climbed up the wooden staircase. "They come to the annual Grand Festival and challenge other bird Pokemon to unofficial stunt competitions. Honestly, that's one of the highlights and they don't even put it on the public schedule."

"Wooo," Picasso responded, looking up the turns that led up to the Gym's floor level.

"As far as I can tell, he's a friendly guy."

When they came to the second gate at the top of the stairs, there was a wooden box that sheltered the receptionist's desk. Beyond that, there were two dozen sturdy poles with spiraling staircases. The battle platforms were far above their heads, fitting for the birds that fought here. It was all made of treated wood, rustic looking yet strong enough to withstand the violent energies involved in Pokemon battles.

"Good afternoon," the receptionist said with a smile. "Would you like to register a challenge with this Gym?"

"Actually, I'd like to speak to Arianna. Or her father, if I can't do that."

"Oh, well," she checked her computer. "Arianna's in class right now and Adrian's on duty. I can schedule you a meeting for later; it will have to be with both."

So that would give him a free afternoon? Maybe he could experiment with the tablet some more. "Okay then, I..."

He felt a tugging at his shirt and looked down. Picasso made a fist and punched up into the air. He wanted to try the Gym's challenge.

"Oh, well that would be okay, I guess. Might as well find out what you can do. I'll go ahead and register a challenge."

"Great. May I see the Pokeballs of the team you'll be using?"

"I've just got him," he replied, handing over the Luxury Ball.

Running the status screen under a scanner, she skimmed over the information for telltale signs of illegal drug use or other disqualifying factors. "All right then, you're clear to use this Smeargle. May I see your badge case?"

He felt his ears turn warm as he took the ball back. "Actually, um, I don't have one. I don't have any badges."

"May I see your ID instead?"

"Sure." He unclipped it from his belt and let her scan it.

"My goodness, you don't even have a battle record started," she commented upon reading the information. "We'll set you up here... I'll have the technical side done in a jiffy, so you just need to go to a Pokemart to acquire the usual gear. You're all ready to go now, Mr. Starr. Good luck on your first Gym Challenge."

He took the ID back and nodded. "Thanks. Come on Picasso."

Clicking happily to himself, the Smeargle scampered after him on all fours. His tail lazily waved from side to side as they went along. They could have gone immediately up some of the staircases, but Polaris looked over ground level. There were two Gym Trainers down here.

"Might as well start with these kids," he commented. He knelt down by Picasso and took the ball. He set the bag the painting was in down to do so. "Okay, let's see what moves you have."

Placing the status screen where his armband computer could scan it, he looked into the registered data. It scrolled through various pieces of information: Picasso's name, current health, any special statuses (none), any held items (none), and then finally through his known moves. 'Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Flamethrower, Recover, Toxic, Sketch, Sketch'.

Jaw dropping a bit, Polaris looked back at his Pokemon. Picasso was smiling smugly, a twinkle in his eyes. "You are going to sweep right through this Gym, you know that? And you'd only have to use two moves to pull it off."

"Krrrikiki," he clicked. He knew perfectly well that this place would be an easy first badge.

He stood up again. "Well that's good to know. It might stop Ida from calling me worthless as a Trainer." He shook his head. "She really gets on my nerves, but I have to be nice... anyhow, let's try one of these boys." He glanced between them. One was already engaged in a battle, so he picked up the painting and went to the other one.

The Gym Trainer, probably about fifteen years old, grinned at him. He wore a green tank top and baggy tan pants. "Hey there, you're outta luck," he proclaimed proudly. "That guy's a loser, but I'm gonna be just as great as Adrian."

"That would be an impressive feat," Polaris replied. "I saw Adrian's Grand Festival challenge several times now."

"Then maybe you saw me; that's where he recruits a lot of his students. Anyhow, are you ready to rumble?"

His heart fluttered in nervousness, but seeing Picasso's eagerness, said, "Y-yeah."

The Gym Trainer shook his head. "Come on, you can do better than that. Go Wingull!" He snatched up a blue Great Ball and released his first battler.

"Kraaaaww!" she called as she materialized. She had a long yellow-orange beak, a compact body, and long white wings striped by blue. Circling around her Trainer, she seemed happy to be in battle.

"Come on, Picasso," Polaris said as the Smeargle got into position.

He dropped his front half lower to the ground and flicked his tail high. With his eyes following the Wingull, he braced himself. "Geh."

The Gym Trainer looked them over. "Hmm... use Water Gun!"

"Go with Thunderbolt," Polaris told his Pokemon.

The Wingull flew up into a hovering position to use her skill. However, Picasso had his own ideas. His tail moved deftly in the air, drawing a green symbol on nothing. He drew it so fast that Polaris had a hard time following it despite his artistic training. A circle surrounding a diamond, then a dot in the center. The green shifted to light blue as a cold beam of ice shot out at Wingull. It struck dead on... but didn't even cause the bird to react. She flung a ball of water at Picasso, then went back to circling.

"It's a water bird," Polaris told Picasso quietly. "Thunderbolt her."

"Eee," the Smeargle replied, taken aback by the result of his attack.

"Geez, can't you control your own Pokemon?" the Trainer asked. "Use Wing Attack this time."

"I wasn't the one to catch him," Polaris said as Picasso's tail drew up another symbol. This time, it was the right one: a circle split by a jagged line. The green shifted to yellow and a miniature bolt of lightning stuck Wingull.

"Aaaaa!" she squalled as she collapsed.

The Gym Trainer leaned back a bit, thinking. Then he pulled out his second Pokemon. "Okay, let's see you manage Gligar!"

The violet bat he released grinned at them, swishing its tail and clicking its claws. Picasso smirked at him. If Polaris remembered right, there was a trick with this Pokemon too. "Now use Ice Beam."

"Sand Attack!"

However, Picasso sketched the symbol for Thunderbolt again. When the lightning struck, Gligar laughed crazily, flew downward, and beat his wings to stir up dust and obscure Picasso's view. The Smeargle seemed puzzled.

"I said Ice Beam," he said, again just loud enough for his Pokemon to hear. "It's got a weird typing, but that'll work."

"Hmpf."

Polaris wasn't sure whether his Pokemon was frustrated with being wrong again or with the annoying Gligar. What was with it again? He just remembered seeing one in televised battles that wouldn't be hurt by electric attacks, but was hurt by ice.

In the meantime, Gligar threw up another cloud of dust. Picasso drew up his Ice Beam symbol, but missed hitting his opponent. "Okay, Double Team now!" the Gym Trainer said.

It couldn't be that strong defensively if he kept using evasive maneuvers. "Keep trying to hit it with Ice Beam."

Picasso missed the next Ice Beam while Gligar made its body shimmer. If he looked directly at it, Polaris felt he was going cross-eyed, like there were four Gligars instead of one. Growling for a second, Picasso drew another Ice Beam symbol. This one connected, knocking the Gligar out immediately. In response, the Smeargle grumbled and rubbed sand away from his eyes.

"Aw man," the Gym Trainer said. "Your Pokemon was fooled, but you weren't."

"I generally pay attention to things," Polaris replied. "By the way, what type is Gligar?"

"Flying and Ground," he said with a grin. "Wingull and Gligar make an awesome pair because most Trainers come in here expecting to win with an Electric or an Ice. But they can't win against me, because one of mine will stop them in their tracks."

That was something to remember. "Ah. Nice thinking."

"Thanks. Okay, I'll tell you something about our Gym. Most of the staircases have a Gym Trainer at the end so that you're forced to fight them on the way up." He pointed behind him, to the northeast. "But there's nobody stationed on the second level after that set of stairs. There's eight staircases on that level instead of ten. You can pick the one you want to fight to know which stairs are safe, or take your chances going up to the third level."

"I see. There's a lot of Gym Trainers in this Gym, huh? If you can manage putting one at the end of most staircases."

He shrugged. "Well Adrian's up at the top level, number four. All the wrong staircases there just go to tiny platforms with nothing on them."

"Okay. Thanks." He headed off to the northeast pillar.

"Hey good luck!" the Trainer he fought shouted. "You'll need it!"

The Trainer he faced on the second level had three Pokemon, but he had used all Golbats. On the third level, Polaris made careful observations of the fourth level. So all the wrong staircases led to small platforms. Adrian's platform had to be large. There seemed to be one large platform up there, to the south. There were two staircases near the center, but neither led to the large platform. Avoiding where this level's Trainers were, he climbed up the south-most staircase.

On the large platform, Adrian had his back to the staircase and his eyes to the sky. In particular, he watched a Yanmega doing stunts. The Leader looked much like his daughter. He had dark blond hair that was streaked with silver-gray and wore a pilot's jacket with the winged emblem of the Blue Angels. And that wasn't just for show; Adrian was a retired Angel leader himself. According to rumor, he was still an excellent pilot.

"Zaa zi zi!" the Yanmega called, swooping down at Polaris playfully.

He put his arm up, but smiled. "Hey, watch it."

The Bug cackled and flew over to behind Adrian, who had noticed him now. "Hey, welcome challenger. I'm Adrian." He put his hand to his chin. "You look familiar. Are you one of the locals?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm the artist at the Contest Hall, Polaris."

"Nice to see you here." They shook hands. Then the Leader looked at a nearby computer screen. "And you got here in just two battles. Good work. Are you ready to have at it with me?"

"Raaa!" Picasso called, jumping up and punching the air. He seemed full of energy despite going through two battles and three series of stairs.

"We're ready," Polaris said, although his heart was pounding. He had watched Gym battles many times over television, but this was his battle now. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be recording today.

"Great!" He picked up a belt holder and attached it to a strap on his jeans. It was preset with three Pokemon. "Yanmega, take a back seat. First up is Cardain." As the large Bug landed on a perch on the side of the platform, Adrian summoned the slender tall red bird from his first Pokeball. It wasn't the one Arianna had; this one was much more tidy. "Ready set."

Being new to personally being in a battle, Polaris understood that he was set against less experienced Pokemon. But they would still be well-trained; becoming a Gym Leader meant clearing some high requirements. "Go with Thunderbolt," he told Picasso.

As the Smeargle set up his attack, the Cardain flew around Adrian in rapid circles. This somehow kicked up a wind blowing at Polaris. While it was enough to whip hair and loose clothes around, it wasn't much of an obstacle. But there must have been a reason to it. Picasso's Electric attack knocked out the Cardain in one blow.

"I'm guessing this is an experienced Pokemon," the Leader said, then swapped balls. "Doduo next. Up and away." He waved his hand upward dramatically.

A brown Pokemon with two heads appeared. While it seemed like a capable runner, what with those long legs, it spread its wings out and ran forward. Picasso braced himself, but the Doduo caught the wind the Spearow set up and was soon twenty feet off the ground.

Polaris knew Pokemon attacks had specific ranges; they couldn't attack distant targets without spending a lot of time concentrating. He wasn't sure how far the Smeargle could strike readily. "Hang tight," he told him. "Strike when it comes near."

After giving a single nod, Picasso backed up slightly to keep an eye on his opponent while staying low to the ground. The Doduo wheeled a bit, then dove at Picasso for an attack with its claws. Picasso went into drawing his symbol, but got struck before he could set it off. The Thunderbolt attack came worryingly close to striking him as well as the Doduo. But it knocked it out as easily as the Spearow.

Adrian gave a nod of acknowledgment, then swapped balls again. "And Leodan." He paused a second, considering his next move.

Leodan was a Pokemon Polaris had seen in Contests often, usually in Cool, sometimes in Beauty. It was a wide puffy yellow flower with black feline eyes and four green leaves that acted as propellers. Swiping its jagged leaf arms, this Leodan roared in eagerness to battle.

"Go physical tops," the Leader ordered, using some personal battle code for a slight advantage.

"Use ice," Polaris said. Fire might have worked too against this one, but while the wind was still up, fire was a bit risky.

Picasso agreed and started using the symbol for Ice Beam. But then the Leodan flipped itself upside-down and crashed into the Smeargle with its propellers. It startled him enough that the symbol disintegrated. Picasso then rushed off to try again. This Ice Beam connected, putting a white frost on the Leodan's dark green leaves.

"Latch on to the Smeargle," Adrian called out.

The breeze died down, so Polaris said, "Switch to fire." Using the same moves repeatedly without rest would decrease effectiveness. It was more easily noticed with high powered moves like those Picasso knew.

The Leodan grabbed Picasso with his paws; a green glow came out of them as it drained energy from him. The Smeargle hunkered down and lashed out with Flamethrower. When the Grass Pokemon screamed, Picasso struggled to throw it off before he got burned by his own power. The Leodan collapsed into red light.

"Pah," Picasso said, shaking his paws. Then he seemed to realize that he'd won, so jumped back up onto his hind feet. "Woohoo!"

Polaris clapped for his attention. "Great work, Picasso." He gave the Smeargle a high-five when he hopped back over.

At this, Adrian laughed. "Yes, good work. You threw my main strategy off by coming with only one Pokemon, but that's still a commendable victory. And so for you both, I have your first badge, the Acrobat Badge, and other rewards." He set the Pokeball holder into a different slot and activated a healing device. Then he grabbed a small tan box from a hidden drawer and gave it to him.

In the box was a card noting a $1500 credit placed into his bank account, a TM labeled 'Tailwind', and the Acrobat Badge itself. It was a small metal symbol of a bird silhouette against a blue circular background. So that was their first victory. He showed the badge to Picasso, who whistled appreciatively.

"Tailwind will give your side a speed boost for a time," Adrian explained. "Taking the initiative is a key to winning. And a good tailwind is needed for the best stunts." He smiled rather nostalgically at that thought.

"It is. I did have something else I wanted to talk to you about," Polaris added, opening up his art bag. He handed the picture over to the Gym Leader. "Here."

He looked over the painting quietly. "This was at the Contest Hall?"

He nodded. "About a month ago. They were in the Cool class, but didn't win." He shrugged. "She didn't really stand much of a chance. The Contest Hall here is skewed more than I like and she was up against one of the regular Masters. But she was a lot more, I dunno, authentic? And you could see that they really loved each other."

"Hmm." He hadn't looked away from it.

Polaris felt that he'd intruded on something better left in private. Maybe he should have given it directly to Arianna. "I don't expect anything for it. You may decide what to do with it."

"I'll pay you for it," Adrian said. "It's a wonderful painting... I had told her she couldn't enter the Contests."

Polaris glanced around. Yeah, he shouldn't have intruded.

"But this shows that she really does love it... we'll have to talk." He set the painting aside and turned back to him. "Sorry for rambling off for a bit. What's your price on portraits?"

* * *

December 3rd, year 58

The Contest Hall got a strange surprise when Adrian and Arianna entered the lobby one rainy afternoon. "Ida, Gertrude, are you two still ruining young dreams?" Adrian demanded of them. "I've gathered evidence that you're running a corrupt Hall."

Trudy smiled at him, but it wasn't her welcoming smile. "Adrian dear, are you still sour about what happened years ago?"

"Really, you shouldn't bandy around false accusations," Ida added. "But you always have."

"It's been confirmed by the police," he said sternly. "And it's proven by your fat spoiled Milotic."

The Milotic in question squealed and tried to snap at his ear.

A minute later, the police came in and ordered the Contest Hall to shut down. As Polaris talked to one in the artist's studio, Arianna came in and hugged him. "Oh, thank you! Dad's said that I can be a Coordinator now because he liked your picture so much! Me and Kirk are going to become famous."

He smiled and patted her arm. "You're welcome. I'm glad you liked my painting."

"It's wonderful!"

* * *

Jasper Pokedex Index

Key Search: Leodan

Leopuff – **Leodan** (Sun Stone required)

The Proud Flower Pokemon

Type: Grass/Flying

Ability: Keen Eye

Description: Leodan has four propeller wings like a dandelion plant: dark green, wide, and branched. Hanging below that is the stem, a thick green one that is flexible. Attached to this is its face, a broad bright yellow dandelion flower with black feline eyes. Two smaller flowers sit behind the face flower (sort of like ears) while below it are two more leaves acting as paws (with claws). Despite being a plant, Leodan has carnivore teeth.

Notes: Leodan's high points are attack power and maneuverability. A Trainer may wish to train a Leodan in dodging to compensate for its low defense. One must keep its leaf propellers clean and whole; a single tear there can handicap the Pokemon's flight capabilities. As Leodan can hover quite well, it can stay still easier than other Flying types. (A. Jenson)


	6. Jumping Career Tracks

December 4th, year 58

With the Contest Hall closed, Polaris lost his job. With his job lost, Trudy removed him from his apartment. He may have helped Arianna and any other young Coordinator in St. Rosaline, but he was now jobless and homeless. At least the police had decided that he was just a witness, not part of the corruption.

He dropped down into a couch at the apartment lobby after storing what he could of his belongings in his laptop PC account. The rest were being taken to a storage facility. "Well, now what?"

Picasso got on the couch beside him and crossed his arms and tail over his chest.

"I moved here from Hoenn, actually," he went on. "I grew up in Lilycove and was at either the Contest Hall or the Art Museum every day. But my parents didn't want me to be an artist exclusively. They said it wasn't steady work." He scratched his head. "I guess they were right, kind of."

In response, the Smeargle sniffed. He didn't agree with that.

"It's not easy to get into a Hall as a paid artist. I could always return here when they reopen. Still, that leaves the question of what to do until then." He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling.

Picasso mimicked him, then punched the air.

"You want to try the League Challenge?"

He nodded.

"I don't know if I'd be a good enough Trainer for that. I mean, maybe you're good enough to get far. But when you get up to facing four or five Pokemon and that's just one team, you'll wear yourself out. I'd have to catch other Pokemon to help out."

"Are you speaking of that battling competition the outsiders have brought in?" Garnet asked out of nowhere.

"That's right. It's run by an organization that wanted to improve Pokemon training techniques and give young Trainers something to strive for. But even if the Trainer can sign up starting from the age of ten, it's a tough challenge. People spend years training their Pokemon, moving up in the League, but then fail at their ultimate goal of becoming a regional Champion."

Ignoring the pessimistic tone, Picasso hopped up on the couch excitedly and punched one fist into the other. Then he gestured out the door.

"I don't think I'd do well, I just told you that. Although, I would like to get away from St. Rosaline for a while. There's apparently an art museum in Deidre that specializes in the Arkahn people... the native people of Jasper. I've always wanted to go see it, but never made it down there." He looked at his Pokemon, who was giving him a questioning look. "There isn't a Gym in Deidre. There is one at Lia Saia on the way, although it's an odd one."

Picasso nodded.

"I guess we can give it a try."

"What're you thinking of trying?" a friendly voice called.

Polaris sat up and saw two people come downstairs. "Oh, hey Jack... and Megan? Hi!"

The blue haired woman smiled. "Hi Polaris." Their Ambipom and Ariados followed them down behind the father and daughter.

"So you're out of a home too," Jack said.

"I'm afraid so," Polaris said. "Picasso's trying to convince me to take the League Challenge."

"That's exciting. Me and Greeble tried five Gyms ourselves. Only beat two, though, and then we decided that we loved cooking more than anything."

He scratched his head. "I only tried one, a week ago. It was weird back when I was a kid. All the other boys in Lilycove were trying to be famous Trainers at ten; I was taking art lessons while my parents thought I was in Trainers School."

The two of them laughed, so he shrugged. "Well how about you stay at my place until you're ready to leave?" Megan offered. "If you decide not to, you can just work in the diner until the Contest Hall opens back up."

"Aw, now taking in your dear father is one thing," Jack teased her. "But taking in a guy younger than you now? I dunno."

She playfully swatted at him. "Oh Dad! You know that he's a good and sweet person. I trust him."

"That's good to know," Polaris said, getting up from the couch. "Thanks for the offer; it helps a lot."

She squeezed his arm. "It's fine. So I'm guessing you tried Adrian's."

Polaris got the door for the five others. "Yeah, and we got the badge. It wasn't that bad, although it helps that whoever last trained Picasso for battle gave him a few great moves to work with. Still, there's a lot to think about. I've watched many matches, but I'm not sure how well I would do myself."

"Well no harm in trying," Jack said. "Especially now that you're unemployed."

* * *

December 5th

At the outer part of St. Rosaline, there was a small and fairly unremarkable building that housed the local congregation of the Church of Rayquaza. Polaris had been surprised to find one in Jasper, but glad for it. He went there for weekly services and some other events. It wasn't a large group. Then again, the Hoenn-based religion wasn't very big compared to the likes of the Sinnoh Church.

Polaris kept Picasso in his Pokeball during the service; he didn't think the Smeargle could behave long enough. He did notice when Garnet came out to listen to the service. Although she acted anxious about staying unnoticed, her curiosity drew her out to look around.

After most of the people had left, Polaris was still in the church, looking through the church library. Garnet floated alongside the shelves. "This church of yours is plain and modest," she noted. "Strange considering that you follow a dragon."

"But that's what he taught the church founders about, and what the leaders still follow," Polaris said. "I've been with this church all my life, so I know its lessons. Seek moderation and balance in your path, keeping from any extreme. Vanity and sloth are to be avoided, but you may be proud of something you accomplished through hard work. Be careful of images, as they may also be false." He paused. "I had some trouble with the last bit when I loved art so much. But then I figured, if the art is honest and sincere, then it is great. True beauty is better than false."

"I see. I don't know much of Rayquaza. He must be an odd dragon."

"I wouldn't know much about that either, I guess. I just know what the church and the old myths say. But both of them fit well together."

"Is someone in there?" a voice from outside called, making Garnet vanish back into the pendant. The church pastor came into the library.

Polaris smiled at him. "It's just me," he said. "I was talking to myself a bit there…" he looked back to the bookshelves.

"Ah, okay then. Anything in particular you're looking for?" He came over, grabbing a notebook on the way. "I know where most of the books are… or at least where they should be."

"I was, but it might just be faster to ask you." He fingered the pendant. "I don't know if you heard, but I lost my job this week and the apartment that came with it when the Contest Hall closed down on court order."

He nodded. "I heard about that, and wondered what would happen to you. What are you going to do now?"

"I'm thinking about it; I'm living with a friend for now. I'd like to travel around the Jasper region for a while, at least until the Hall opens back up and I can try for the artist position again. My Smeargle is trying to convince me to take the League challenge with that."

He smiled. "You could try that. I think you might surprise yourself; you're quite knowledgeable when it comes to Pokemon."

He shook his head. "Not that much. Anyhow, I've heard that one of Rayquaza's towers is in this region. I was wondering where it was and how difficult it would be to get there. I know he chooses secluded locations and I don't expect to meet with him, but it would be interesting to see the tower."

"Rayquaza's tower is it? I've seen it myself, although I couldn't find an entrance; it's in the eastern part of the desert. But you need strong Pokemon to get there, as well as a lot of preparation. The area is very dangerous and there are no towns nearby."

Which meant he was unlikely to get around to seeing it any time soon. "I see. Maybe on another trip then. Thanks for telling me."

"Sure thing. Where do you plan to go?"

"For right now, just Deidre to the south. Maybe Graystone City. Both places have art museums I want to see. I'm not sure where else. The Celane Grasslands are supposed to be beautiful."

"The area in and around Jade Castle is really nice as well. That's quite a bit distant from Deidre, though. And if you're joining the Jasper League, you'll be near all those places at one time or another. I hope you have fun on your trip."

"Right, thanks."

* * *

December 7th, year 58

The Pokemart was busy when Polaris came in: teenagers getting supplies, parents keeping close hold on their kids, a few smarter Pokemon doing errands. There were signs announcing a sale on postcards and promoting gift cards as easy gifts for friends. Over at the third aisle, a bright green sign pointed out that it was the location for new League Challengers getting supplies. A similar yellow sign had the same information for Coordinators in the next aisle over. After getting a shopping basket, he went to the challenger sign and picked up a flyer.

'Looking for the thrill of battle, the chase of power? We have all the items you need to become a true contender*! JOIN THE POKEMON LEAGUE CHALLENGE TODAY!

_Recommended inventory for a new challenger_ :

Traveler's Pokedex or equivalent computer program (Region: 172SJ, Adviser: Y. Arboreal)

PTDA (Pokemon Trainer Data Assistant) or equivalent computer program

Team Storage Unit (many styles and attachments available)

TM/HM Holder with pse-psy crystal

League Official Gym Badge Box (many styles available)

Multifunctional supply bag

at least 10 Pokeballs (earn special ball for first bulk purchase!)

Medicinal sprayer with interchangeable cartridges

Medicinal cartridge storage unit

Potion cartridges

Antidote cartridges

Anti-status cartridges (depending on area: Awakening, Burn Heal, Freeze Heal, Paralysis Heal)

_Additional supplies available here or at other stores_ :

Pokemon food and/or bait

Camping supplies

Rain/Snow/Desert gear

Hiking boots (waterproof, non-skid soles. Optionally, steel toe guards)

Fishing pole with gear and/or net

Hat (protective qualities varying depending on area)

Lantern or flashlight

See other fliers for supplies made for Coordinators, Pet Owners, and Workers. Starter packages available.

*better supplies become available for purchase with more badges!

This flier was made in cooperation with the Sea of Jasper Pokemon League by United Pokemart Associates.'

Looking at the piece of paper gave Polaris flutters in his stomach. To the young kids starting out, this was an exciting prospect delayed by necessary shopping. If they were lucky, a parent or sponsor took care of the gathering of supplies and the cost. He would be taking care of this all on his own.

He had some of the stuff already; then again, some of it needed to be replaced. He looked over his computer, an arm-mounted unit that weighed almost nothing. While he could access the internet with it, and therefore the main Pokedex database, it didn't have the functions the League wanted. At the end of the aisle, there was a large console for purchasing and downloading programs. He unlatched his computer from his left arm and connected it to the dock station.

"Thank you for using the Pokemart Programming Assistant," the console said in a polite female voice. "Which programs are you interested in?"

"The Traveler's Pokedex and the PTDA."

"This unit's home region is 172SJ, of the Sea of Jasper. This region or other?"

"This region."

"Thank you. Your computer will be updated in…" it paused a second to check his unit, "approximately fifteen minutes."

That taken care of, he went into the new Trainer's aisle and looked around. There were boxes and even gift baskets of the starter kits they had mentioned. While that would be the easy way to handle this, Polaris decided to see what all the individual components would cost.

A team storage holder. There were various styles: belt attachments, necklaces, bracelets. The device's function was to hold the miniaturized Pokeballs that held a Trainer's team. As they protected live Pokemon, they needed to be secure. The necklace one was nice, but would get tied up with Sienna's pendant. The belt attachment was most common, but therefore the one most pickpockets knew how to break. After some looking, he found one made for his armband computer.

A holder for technical and hidden machines. Despite the name, it held onto CDs, on which special moves were recorded. Polaris wasn't sure what the pse-psy crystal meant, so picked up one box to read the specifications. One note said, 'Includes built-in reading device with a pseudo-psychic crystal for convenient transfer of skills.' So it made sure he could teach the skills with the holder itself? Good reason to put it on the list. He picked up a cheap model that only held five CDs. He could always put more into his PC storage.

Then the whole reason for this shopping trip, the Badge Box. Most of them were wallet-sized with a space to place an ID card. There were a number of unofficial boxes by various companies which were cheaper. However, those models seemed cheaply made as well. Of the official ones, there were a multitude of styles available. One he looked at had a Grass-type theme, in spring green with an olive green leaf on the cover. There were styles for any other Pokemon type. And then there were specific Pokemon styles (a Pikachu themed one seemed to have an oddly chubby Pikachu on it), licensed styles (like the Battle Frontier box), and local flavor styles (like the one depicting St. Rosaline's lighthouse).

Among the last group, he found a Badge box that had a half-sun half-moon symbol on the front and four various symbols on the back. He recognized those symbols as the six that appeared occasionally on the back of the strange white tablet. Checking the packaging, it stated to be 'Arkahn Cultural Symbols'. He suspected they were religious symbols instead. If they were religious, it might seem disrespectful of him to buy it when he didn't understand the symbolism. Polaris chose the box with the Rosaline Lighthouse.

He went back to check on his computer and found that it had downloaded the new programs. He disconnected it and put it back on. For a bill, the console printed off a tab he was to give to the cashier upon checkout. Otherwise, the store's security system would note that he left without paying for everything.

Back in the aisle, he considered the backpack he had taken with him from Hoenn. It had been bought when he was nine and over a decade of use had taken its toll. While it was currently useable, it would not be once he started traveling extensively again. He found a tan canvas shoulder bag that was made for a League challenger. Thus, its pockets were organized to hold many of the usual devices, items, guides, and such. Since it hung by his side, it was easier to access than a backpack.

He checked the list again. At least ten Pokeballs? He knew they had an expected fail rate. Being the most basic model, the red and white Pokeball had the highest expected fail rate of thirty percent. That was assuming he was trying to catch a common well-mannered Pokemon too. More expensive and more accurate balls, like the Luxury Ball that Picasso was attached to, would not be available to him until he had a good number of badges. Polaris decided to go with the recommendation of ten.

A medicinal sprayer and assorted healing cartridges. He had thrown away his old sprayer nearly a year ago for jamming, and because he rarely battled Sienna when he had her. Deciding to pick reliability over cheapness, he bought the name brand sprayer. It came with three Potion cartridges and one Antidote cartridge. Unsure of how many to budget for a trip, he bought two more potions, two more Antidotes, and a few of the other status healers.

Checking the rest of the list, he knew he had suitable gear, clothing, and supplies stored on his PC. He wondered why 'lantern or flashlight' was separate when 'camping supplies' came before it. Did he have one? Probably. He didn't have fishing gear, but he knew that there was a rental place at the docks. If he really wanted a water-bound Pokemon, there would probably be something he could rent for an afternoon.

He went to the register to pay for his gear. It came to be almost two months worth of his former job's pay. However, his savings were good enough to cover it.

* * *

December 8th, year 58

There was a line for ferry tickets. While waiting, Polaris flipped through his application for a Jade Pass. It would allow him to pay one price for full use of the Jade Ferry Service for one year. The Jade Pass was immensely helpful to League Challengers, since the Gyms were spread far and wide through the Jasper region. Although yet another expense, he was now on the official Challenger list and thus could earn battle pay.

One more person got done; Polaris still had to wait for two more people to buy tickets. Bored, he looked around the docks. There were two ferries waiting for passengers. A third had just pulled in, releasing a good two dozen more people onto the docks. On a post, a flash of blue raced up and poised to look around.

Dumbfounded for a moment, Polaris couldn't identify the Pokemon. It was a small mammal at a foot long, with a slender body. It had blue fur, but the hairs reflected light a great deal in spite of being a little dirty with wet sand. Perhaps it was a local Jasper Pokemon that he didn't see often? That would make sense. He saw several Pokemon in League matches that he didn't know and this would be just another one of those. After it checked things out, it sped off across the docks.

The two people in front of him got done by the time he looked back to the ticket booth. He placed his application on the counter. "I'd like to get a Jade Pass, please."

"All right sir, just a moment." The office worker took the papers and scanned them into a computer. "Would you verify the information on the screen by signing the box?"

He nodded, then picked up the touch screen's pen. All the information had scanned into the computer properly, so he gave his signature. Then he looked up at the electronic board listing departures. According to it, the ferry that had just pulled in would be headed towards Lia Saia in twenty minutes.

A machine printed out a card, which the worker then laminated. "Here you are sir. Thank you for using Jade Ferry Services. Have a good trip." His attitude was definitely 'move on, there's a line'.

Polaris left, checking the pass over. The computer had transferred his signature to the card automatically. Since it was practically a wallet, he took out his badge box and put the pass in an extra card slot. He looked over the badge he had with some excitement. So this was it, he was on his way as a Challenger. He didn't know how far he could realistically go, but he would try.

And if he meant to try, it would help to have more than one Pokemon. He plucked the miniaturized ball from his computer, then enlarged it to release Picasso. "I saw a weasel kind of Pokemon around here a bit ago," he told him. "We need to put a team together, and that one seemed pretty quick."

The Smeargle shrugged, then got down on all fours and sniffed around. He found something interesting, which led them to a currently empty dock. Near the end, he looked over the edge to come nose to nose with the blue weasel. Squealing, he jumped back. Then he shook his head and called out, "Re kah! Ti feh."

"Keh?" The weasel ran up onto the docks, blinked at them, then shimmered white. A fist-sized ball of ice appeared, then was chucked into Picasso's face.

'I guess the challenge was accepted,' Polaris thought. So the weasel was probably Ice or Water typed. That presented a problem. Thunderbolt would definitely hit it too hard, and Flamethrower would either do the same or diddly-squat; Pokeballs would not capture unconscious Pokemon. "Use Ice Beam," he suggested. While it was a powerful move, the weasel's resistance would hopefully keep it going.

Picasso drew his ice symbol, firing off the white beam. However, the weasel didn't even attempt to dodge. Not only that, but after it was hit, it seemed to be a bit larger than before. So was the next ice-ball it summoned, now like a small kickball.

"Feh," Picasso grumbled.

"Yeah." That left one move, and it wasn't good for weakening a Pokemon for capture. In fact, Picasso's move set was overall bad for capture purposes. "Use Toxic, then Recover."

The Smeargle drew a symbol of an 'x' drawn through a circle. A dark violet haze appeared over the weasel, making it gag. So now it was poisoned, and the poisoning would grow steadily worse. It sent another ice-ball, now basketball sized, at Picasso. He grunted, apparently hit hard.

While his Pokemon worked on healing himself, Polaris pulled out an empty Pokeball from his bag. He pressed the button to activate it, then tossed it underhand at the weasel. There wasn't much room on the dock to really throw it, after all. From the ball, a pinkish light appeared and absorbed the Pokemon. It went back into the ball, but then immediately snapped the device in half. The weasel had escaped.

Well that Pokeball was now useless. He took a second one from his bag and tried again after the weasel lobbed an ice ball almost the size of a car tire. Fussing over the hit, Picasso managed to Recover again. When Polaris looked back, the weasel had escaped yet again.

"Third time's the charm, I hope," he said to himself. "Picasso, be ready to dodge." He wasn't sure the Smeargle could survive a fifth hit. He tossed the Pokeball. It absorbed the weasel Pokemon, then rolled for a ways. Then the light and weasel burst back out. The broken Pokeball dropped into the water.

"Sssi si," the weasel chuckled, and then launched an ice ball almost a yard across at Picasso.

Squealing, the Smeargle jumped into the water to avoid being hit. Polaris had to step back to also avoid it. He worried for a moment that it might break the dock, but the wood must have been treated to hold up to this kind of abuse. When it hit the dock, the giant ice ball shattered. Picasso came out of the water, growling. The weasel waved a paw at him, taunting him with an even bigger attack.

"No, you won't be able to outdo that," Polaris said to the weasel. "You'll have to start with the smallest one. Five times power increase, that's the limit on Pokemon skills."

"Teh," Picasso agreed, climbing back onto the dock.

"Fi," the weasel replied, irritated that its ruse had been seen through.

"I could order him to hit you with Flamethrower," he told it. "Or we could just wait; that Toxic will take you down before you can summon that giant ice ball again. But I'd like you to join me."

The weasel lowered its head, then brought up one claw. He would give Polaris one more chance.

"Okay." He tossed a fourth Pokeball at the Pokemon, praying for it to work.

The light absorbed it again. It began rolling again, as the weasel fought it off. When it managed a struggle enough to make the ball hop into the water, Polaris was afraid that he had wasted four Pokeballs for nothing. Without being asked, Picasso jumped back in the water to retrieve it.

Polaris went to the edge, kneeling down as his Smeargle came back to the surface. He handed up the Pokeball. It had cracked open and was dripping with water. "That stinks. And now you're soaked."

"Bah." Picasso came back out and shook himself, spraying water droplets all over the empty dock and Polaris.

They heard the weasel emerge from the water behind them. It snickered, then ran off towards shore. However, a black and yellow Ultra Ball appeared, absorbing the Pokemon again in pink light. The ball hopped around like before, but this one secured it.

"YES!" An excited boy came running up and grabbed the Ultra Ball. He was wearing a yellow jacket with an oversized hood hanging over his face. "I am awesome! Wait til they see this!" He ran off.

Picasso growled and made to run after the kid, but Polaris managed to step in front of him. "Whoa there. Even if we did do the work in weakening that weasel thing, the kid's still the one who caught it. And we'd better clean up this mess."

"Pah," Picasso grumbled, but helped him retrieve the broken Pokeballs and brush away the fragments of ice.

"It does stink, I agree." He put the junk in his bag; he could drop them in a recycling bin later on. "Let's go. There'll be other Pokemon on the way." He put his bag over his shoulder, then went to catch his ferry.

* * *

  


Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: a small blue weasel Pokemon, Ice

**Glazicle** –Glasink –Glasyrm (unknown evolution method required)

The Glacial Ruler Pokemon

Type: Ice/Ice -Ice/Dragon (3)

Ability: Ice Build (Heals when hit with Ice attacks)

Description: Glazicle is a mink about a foot long, slim and streamlined. Much of its powder blue fur is soft and fine, but sprinkled with cobalt blue glass-like hairs that reflect light. These glass hairs make it appear as a blue flash when it runs by. It has small ears, a short snout, and black eyes. Its tail is slender and six inches long, covered in the soft fur. Its paws are webbed, for use in swimming.

Notes: Glazicle is a tough Pokemon to train, taking a long time to develop. It has a limited moveset until it evolves and does not yet have the defense to make use of its main attack fully. But it will eventually grow to be quick and powerful. (S. Gracehaven)


	7. Nevin the Arkahn Warrior

December 8th, year 58

With his pass, Polaris was let onto the boat headed for Lia Saia. The salty breeze grew stronger on the ferry, so he buttoned his coat up to keep out the chill. He found an empty table and sat there. Picasso got on another chair and stood on it, looking out to the sea and around the boat. When he blew a raspberry, Polaris checked to see. There was the kid with the yellow jacket, showing off the weasel to a girl his age and an older boy. Wondering, he opened up his computer.

It appeared to be a black sleeve that only covered his lower arm. He unfolded the top and straightened it, forming a screen five inches tall and eight inches wide. Tucked into a sleeve on the outside of his arm, there was a touch screen pen. He took that, then tapped on the Pokedex application. He aimed the camera to catch the weasel, then told it to look it up.

A screen popped up from the program. 'Registered data on Pokemon Glazicle is insufficient. Search online database for updates? Y/N'

That was odd. He let it search and considered the kids. They were talking in almost an argument.

"How did you just happen upon a Glazicle at the docks?" the girl said, in disbelief. "They're like really rare and only the Dragon Clan and the Arkahns know where to find them."

"Maybe he got lost," the boy in the jacket said. "But I had an awesome battle with it, and caught it just like that." He snapped proudly.

"Hssssss," the Glazicle replied. It didn't look too happy to be stuck with this Trainer.

"I don't think he agrees," the girl said with a smile.

"Besides, your Pokemon don't know any poison inducing moves," the older boy pointed out. "So why was it poisoned when you caught it?"

"I don't know," he said, with his ears turning pink. "Maybe it ate something bad."

The Pokedex came up with an entry finally. There was a red star under its name; apparently, they were looking for more data for this one. On the species line, it stated, '1. Glazicle 2. Glasink 3. Glasyrm (evolution method unknown)'. According to a linked article, Glasyrm was a dual-type, Ice and Dragon. Glazicle and Glasink were both straight Ice types.

Scratching his head, Polaris asked aloud, "Now how did I manage to find a future dragon right off?" He glanced at the Glazicle, which was glaring at the boy still. "And what were you doing at the docks? If you were that easy for anyone to find, I would have… no wait, I have seen a Glasyrm before. One of the Gym Leaders has a couple."

"Well my aunt isn't going to like this," the girl stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But it's a rare Pokemon!" the boy exclaimed. "And you were just saying that there wasn't much data on it, so the Professor can study it."

"Yes, but you caught him apparently at random. There's no other recorded sightings of a wild Glazicle near St. Rosaline. He might have broken out of captivity or something. My aunt needs to know where they are naturally located in order to have accurate data."

"And someone must have worn him down," the older boy pointed out. "You couldn't have had a battle against him in the time that you were separated from us."

The younger boy fumed, stomping his foot on the deck. "You guys!"

"I think he's not always that lucky," Polaris whispered to Picasso.

"Hmpf," the Smeargle replied, slumping into his chair.

"Geez, don't throw a temper tantrum," the older boy said, waving off his companion's frustration. He walked away, but then stopped near Polaris. "Oh hey, it's been a while."

"Has it?" He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, but I meet a lot of people, so, who are you?"

He smiled. The boy, who was probably eighteen or so, had short spiked black hair dyed blond at the tips and dark brown eyes. "I understand; you're kind of high profile in Contests. I'm Diego Cartwright, a big name in the battle circuit. This here is my traveling apprentice, Yew Arboreal."

The girl gave him a sharp look. "Ahem?"

"And call her Eve, if you will. And that's my kid brother, Stan."

"Who's this guy?" Stan asked. He had coal black hair in a bowl cut, but otherwise looked similar to his older brother.

"One of the best living artists in the world," Diego said. "Polaris Starr. Remember? We talked to him for a bit at the Grand Festival."

Polaris didn't remember meeting the kids back in May, but it was October now. "I don't quite remember that, but you're probably right," he said. "And you were the one who caught this weasel after he escaped me, huh?" Picasso was still giving death glares at the kid, so maybe that would appease him.

"I got him fair and square," Stan stammered, still trying to assert that he was completely responsible for catching the Glazicle.

"Where'd he come from?" Eve asked. "If you know."

"I don't know," Polaris admitted. "He might have caught a ride on one of the ferries, though. I've seen some other Pokemon hanging onto these ships to travel."

After noticing the Pokeball holder on his computer, Stan interrupted, "Hey are you a Gym Challenger now? Want to battle with me? I asked the crew and they said people can battle on the upper deck."

"Sure." Now that he was on the circuit, other challengers would ask him for a battle at random. May as well get used to it. He noticed that the boy had a full team of six. "I've just got one Pokemon."

"That's fine, a couple of mine are too big for the ferry. Let's go!"

There was a staircase leading to above the main shelter. Polaris could see why size would be a concern; the battle area was maybe twice as wide as the dock he had fought the Glazicle on. About as long too. There were cameras attached to the rails, so that other passengers like Eve and Diego below could watch the battle if they wanted.

"Shaaow!" Picasso called, punching his fist in the air as he came into position with Polaris.

Polaris patted his shoulder. "All right, let's go for it."

"Ready then?" Stan called. "Go Fleurmber!" He released the evolved form of his starter. The main nut-like body had grown larger and glossier; so had the leaves underneath it. Three vines trailed out behind the leaves, while on the tip of its head, a large bright orange bulb was tipped by a small red flower.

"Picasso, go with ice," Polaris ordered.

"Use Fire Punch," the boy Trainer countered.

It knew Fire Punch already? Polaris watched as energy gathered around the plant Pokemon's bulb. But Picasso turned out to be quicker, firing off his Ice Beam. The Fleurmber squealed as the ice attack hit it, sending its fire energy flying wildly over the rails. It passed out.

The boy now called out a Pidgeotto. Bad call, Polaris thought, as the second Ice Beam knocked it out immediately. The Smeargle chuckled and whipped his tail about proudly.

"Aw man," Stan said. "Go Glazicle!" He released the blue weasel Pokemon. For a moment, he stalled and tried to think of what his new Pokemon would know.

"Don't hold back this time," Polaris said, looking down at Picasso.

A corner of his lips turned up in a smirk as he drew a green flame symbol in the air. It turned red, then unleashed a stream of fire at the Glazicle. The Ice Pokemon shrieked before it was hit and knocked down instantly.

"Oh this is not fair," Stan complained. "Go Arbok!" He released a violet colored serpent. Picasso shuddered upon seeing the intimidating façade on the snake's hood. "Strike him!"

"Hang together, Picasso," Polaris encouraged. "You pick your attack."

The Smeargle pawed the ground and made a nervous whine, but traced his Electric symbol in the air to strike the Arbok with Thunderbolt. As it didn't have a weakness to that element, the snake only grunted, then rapidly slithered forward and bit Picasso in the shoulder. That frightened him, leaving him open to getting wrapped with his tail bound and unable to draw up any symbols.

Polaris also felt fear of this snake. But no; he had observed that self-control and trust in battle were hallmarks of a great Trainer. "Picasso, fight back."

For a moment, he whined again. But as the Arbok readied another bite, Picasso struggled as hard as he could, biting back with his much less effective teeth. It was hard to tell how the match was going, but after a moment, the Arbok let go. Picasso was knocked out and returned to his Pokeball.

"All right!" the boy called, jumping up. "I won!"

Rather, it was his Pokemon that had won, Polaris thought. "You have some good Pokemon, especially that Arbok."

"I guess, maybe," he said. "I probably won't have all of them on my championship team and I don't like Poison Pokemon. Arbok didn't even have any poison skills, cause I think they're too slow." He went downstairs, skipping happily.

"That just isn't right," Polaris said to himself as he followed. But what could he do about people who thought some Pokemon were bad simply because of what they were? Nothing, really. When he was down on the main deck, he looked around, wondering if they had a healing machine to go with their battle area.

Stan was over by his brother and friend. "Why was that a bad fight?" he asked, angered. "I won."

"You won in a one to four battle," his brother pointed out. "And your other three were knocked out in quick succession." Diego then waved Polaris over. "Hey man, you have any Revives?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't have enough badges to buy those at regular marts."

"Take one of mine then." He handed over a sprayer cartridge.

Weren't they quite pricy? "Are you sure?"

Shrugging at a lack of concern, he answered, "It's no big deal."

"Thanks a lot." He pulled out his sprayer to attach the cartridge, then hooked that up to Picasso's Pokeball. It repaired most of the damage that had been done, but some healing cartridges fixed that up.

"You might win more often if you led with Arbok," Diego advised his brother. "You have a good intimidator, but you never use her right."

"I know what I'm doing," Stan insisted. "I don't use Pokemon the same as you."

"And it would have helped to use Light Screen," his brother went on. "It looks like that Smeargle, while really strong, is trained up to be a special attacker."

"I didn't do all of his training," Polaris said. "But yes, he's focused on skills, not attacks."

"Attacks are skills," Eve said, looking up from her own armband computer.

"That's not what we mean," Diego stated. "It's another factor of Pokemon battling that you haven't got to in your advanced Trainer courses, the skills vs. attacks debate. Skills, which your Pokedex rates by the 'Special Attack' estimated stat, are the stuff that looks like magic: Ember and Flamethrower, and Ice Beam, along with others where the Pokemon summons energy to make or affect nature. These attacks must be ordered specifically. Attacks, rated by the 'Physical Attack' stat, are the grappling and contact moves. The physical stuff, you know, like tackling, biting, and constricting. Those attacks don't need to be ordered specifically, as you can just tell a well-trained Pokemon to attack."

"Is that why your Arbok never uses that Toxic attack when you tell him to attack?"

He nodded. "He'll use a physical Poison attack when he bites, but Toxic is a special Poison. But you don't even let yours remember its Poison moves."

Stan frowned. "Poison takes too long. In order to win, you have to strike hard and first."

"What if you come up against a really defensive Pokemon?" Polaris asked.

"If you're good, you'll still win in one strike."

The kids were friendly (although Stan sulked for a bit that his victory wasn't taken seriously), so Polaris joined their conversations while crossing the Sea of Jasper.

* * *

  


It was late afternoon when the ferry arrived in Lia Saia. It was an ancient port city of stone, with sandy streets and dozens of statues. Even the Gym had been modified from an old building. Built from native sandstone, its tan exterior was covered in a colorful tile mosaic. "That's a classic Arkahn pattern there," Polaris said, noting the use of yellow, green, blue, and red. Although made up of triangles, the tile pieces were formed into large circles along a rectangular stripe. "It's massive; I wonder what this used to be used for."

"It was built as a Pokemon battle arena," Eve said, excited by the old building. "But the Arkahns never had access to Pokeballs until others began moving here. That's why the entrance and the streets coming up here are so big, so that friendly Pokemon could come in for matches. And the Arkahn warriors fought here too. They train themselves to mimic the powers of Pokemon and some can even fly on their own. The Arkahn warriors are so amazing!" She turned her gait into a happy skip.

"I think it's all nonsense," Stan replied. "People can't fly. Only Pokemon can do stuff like that."

"Oh really?" Diego asked playfully. "Have you ever watched a match in this Gym?"

"No. This guy is selfish and doesn't let cameras in as often as the rest." He looked up at the stone archway that made up the hall they were walking through. "He doesn't even have any Gym Trainers."

"Are you challenging this Gym too?" Polaris asked.

Stan shook his head. "No, but Diego is."

"The Leader has a reputation for being incredibly tough, and he is." Diego brushed his blond-tipped hair back. "Third time's the charm, as they say. Anyhow if we get lucky," he smiled, "we'll see some interesting action. You may go first, if you like."

"Oh, thanks." He had heard of this Gym's reputation and wondered if Diego was trying to make things easier on himself.

"You kids go on up those stairs to the viewing area, since you're not participating."

"We're not kids," Stan insisted, but Eve dragged him towards the stairs to prevent another argument.

"Do they give you trouble, tagging along with you?" Polaris asked out of curiosity.

Diego shrugged. "Sometimes. I don't mind Eve so much, but I'm half-waiting on my brother to give up. He needs to learn some patience and self-control before he really gets good at this. But you know kids; they want to set out as soon as they can."

Inside, there was a sandy arena that was open to the sky. Various sized rocks were scattered around. There was one man and one Pokemon in there, near the entrance hall. The man wore an outfit typical for the Arkahn people: knee-high cream-colored boots, an orange full-body cloak with a pattern of red suns, and a triangular patterned headband over a cloth head cover. Towering far above his head was his Pokemon, a Rhyperior. She gave them a grin and a wave of her armored hand as they entered.

"Good afternoon," the human said in a deep voice. "I am Nevin Geghska, Leader of this Gym. And my master, Kulula."

"Koooh," the Rhyperior added, in a deeper tone than Nevin.

Diego smiled at him, then leaned against the doorway. Feeling his mouth go a bit dry, the artist stepped forward. "I'm Polaris Starr, and this is my partner Picasso. I'd like to challenge you."

"Very well; let me check your Pokemon and badges."

"Sure thing." He passed over his badge box and Picasso's ball to let Nevin check on them. When he glanced around, he saw Eve lean over the spectator's wall and wave at him. Stan was looking at the Rhyperior with great interest.

Once he had returned the items, the Leader rubbed his chin. "You're unusual. Most challengers save my Gym for later on, instead of the second. Kulula and I have a reputation, you know."

"Y-yeah, I know." He took a deep breath and looked at Picasso. The Smeargle smiled back at him. "I still want to try while I'm in Lia Saia."

"I commend your courage." He pulled a large gold coin out of his pocket. "As you may know, I am a traditional Arkahn warrior. Thus, even with the foreign League rules, I do things traditionally." Nevin then threw the coin in the air, sending it into a wild spin.

As it hit the afternoon sunlight, golden sparkles reflected off the coin. It seemed to hover for a half-second, then began tumbling down. When it landed, the silhouette of a human was showing.

Nevin picked the coin up and put it in his cloak pocket. "As chance has decided, you will be facing me." He undid the single clasp on this cloak, then tossed it behind him. Underneath, he wore plate armor made of black metal. Kulula then tossed something to him: a hammer with a three inch wide handle and a metal head where half was a drill the size of the Rhyperior's and the other half was flat on the end. Nevin caught it easily and held it with both hands.

Picasso looked puzzled. "The Arkahn warriors can fight as well as their Pokemon masters," Polaris told him. "So you will be battling him."

"Kri," he replied softly, then dropped down into his battle stance.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Stan called from the edge of the spectator's section. "It's against League rules."

"I've got a special exemption," Nevin stated calmly. He must have told this to many challengers over his term, as he showed no signs of being bothered by the accusation. Looking to the Smeargle, he waved his hand inward, indicating that they should move further in the arena.

"It is acceptable by this region's rules," Diego added, looking up at his brother. "But only if the warrior is fully trained and prepared.

"Ready?" Nevin called. When Picasso nodded, he added, "Begin!" He flipped his hammer around so the drill side was ahead, then ran forward.

In the meantime, Polaris thought over what little he knew of the Arkahn warriors. They took on many habits of their master Pokemon. Including type? Just in case, he decided to play by that. "Ice Beam when you're ready."

Picasso held his ground for a second, then rolled out of the way as Nevin slammed his drill hammer down. Polaris moved back as he felt the force of the blow through his feet. Truly, that power was the reason most Trainers held off on facing Nevin and Kulula. Once he got back to his feet, the Smeargle's tail whipped through the air. The Ice Beam hit Nevin squarely in the chest. The responding grunt was enough to tell them that this human did take the same type damage as a mixed Ground-Rock Pokemon.

Nevin attempted to slam into Picasso using the weight of his armor, but in a quick motion, the Smeargle dropped closer to the ground and tripped him. Undeterred, the warrior rolled, swung his drill hammer around to knock Picasso six feet away, and then finished his roll back onto his feet. There was a girlish squeal from Eve. Polaris was momentarily awed by this display of skill by a human, but then grew concerned about his Pokemon.

Although still conscious, Picasso had taken the blow hard. He quickly drew a symbol in the air, that of a heart within a circle. A white light surrounded him and healed the damage so rapidly that by the time it was gone, the Smeargle was as good as new. Good thing he knew (and used) Recover.

Then Nevin took a second to flip his hammer around to the flat side. He swung it up behind his head. Something about his posture struck Polaris with inspiration. He wouldn't be able to run up on Picasso like that, but surely he would have noticed that they had used no physical moves that would require the Smeargle to run up to him. And there was a move that he'd seen Kulula do on a rare televised battle that was a great one. "Use Sketch!"

He looked bewildered for a moment, then decided to trust him. He poised his tail as Nevin slammed the flat side of his hammer into the ground, creating an efficient mimicry of Earthquake. Scowling at the sudden jostle, Picasso painted a prospectively tilted square inside a circle. He'd copied Earthquake.

"Okay... I trust you," Polaris called over to him.

With that, Picasso drew the Recover symbol again, then had to roll away from another blow with the drill. He darted around for the next five minutes, keeping just out of range of the hammer. Whenever Nevin had to pause or shift position, Picasso threw Ice Beam at him. After three successful hits, the Leader was knocked to the floor. A white orb appeared, shattered, then vanished without a trace.

The Rhyperior grumbled something as Nevin got back onto his feet. "Hold... that's it. You activated my life sphere, so you've won the battle."

"Whooo!" Picasso leapt to his feet and punched the air. Then he ran to Polaris' side.

Smiling, he patted the Smeargle's beret. "Great job."

"It was," Nevin said. "You have an extraordinary Pokemon there. Treat him well." He tossed the hammer back to Kulula, then grabbed up his cloak.

"That was awesome, Picasso!" Eve called down. On the ferry trip, she had admired the Smeargle and made fast friends with him.

Nevin went to a shelf by the doorway and pulled out one of the reward boxes. "And you, knowing when to trust your Pokemon's judgment… I approve of this. With that respect, you can go far." He handed over the box. "I hope the skill I pass on will be helpful."

"Thank you, sir," he replied, bowing his head.

After giving him a nod, the Leader looked to the other challenger. "And Diego, back again?"

"Yeah," the teen said, stepping into the arena as Polaris left. He gave him a respectful smile for winning, then passed on by. "You're one of the last obstacles I've got to take on. I'll get the better of you two one of these times."

"We'll see. I need to check your badge count still."

Polaris entered the hall, then went up the stairs to join the younger two Trainers. Eve grinned at him. "You got Monolith as your second badge? That's awesome."

"He does have to hold back as part of the difficulty scaling they use," Polaris said, sitting down with Picasso. He patted his Pokemon on the shoulder. "Doesn't make that any less of a great victory for you."

The Smeargle clicked happily, then stood up on the bench so he could see into the arena better.

"How does he fight with that huge hammer?" Stan asked, bewildered. "He's got to be really strong, but he doesn't look that big. Diego's taller than him!"

"He was trained by this Rhyperior instead of him training her," Polaris pointed out. "He addresses her as his master."

"That doesn't make sense. People train Pokemon, not the other way around." He tapped his Pokeballs to emphasize that.

"The Arkahns believe differently," Eve said.

Down in the arena, Nevin bowed to the Rhyperior. "Kulula, if you would take this round."

"Garoo!" She flexed her claws, then dropped down on all fours and leapt into the center of the arena. The stone benches shook from her impact.

"All right!" Diego released a tall blue Pokemon with rounded flippers and smooth skin. It looked like it belonged in a swamp, not a sandy city. "Set the tone."

"What is that Pokemon?" Polaris asked.

"A Quagsire," Eve explained. "It's a half-Water half-Ground Pokemon that's usually found in marshy or swampy areas. It's kinda got a dopey looking face, but it's a good Pokemon."

As they spoke, a rain shower spontaneously burst to life over the stadium. Kulula grabbed a rock and fired it at the Quagsire as if her palm was a cannon. It grunted at the impact, but stayed on its feet. Diego called out an order, which turned out to be a high-pressure blast of water. It worked on the same principle of Picasso using Ice Beam by playing on the type weaknesses. Kulula responded by leaping up and pounding the wet ground with sufficient force to knock the Quagsire unconscious.

Diego then called out a Ludicolo; the Rhyperior picked up another rock and fired it at her opponent. The teen ordered his Pokemon to whip up a barrage of leaves. While it did this, Kulula threw a fistful of mud at the Ludicolo's face. This caused its aim to go horribly awry, with only a few leaves actually hitting her. She then backed off and fired rocks at it from afar until she defeated it as well.

Next up, Diego brought out a Salamence. Polaris felt impressed that he had trained up a difficult Dragon Pokemon. That is, until he became aware that it had been traded for, as it ignored the teen's orders and tried to dive at the Rhyperior from the air. Kulula took advantage of this by hurling two fists of mud at it. The rain was still falling, dispersing the sun and heat so the mud was sticky. With the dragon partly blinded and slowed some, she went for the same tactic as before: hurl rocks from afar.

It was a working strategy, as after several minutes of battle, the Salamence fell. Diego then spoke to Nevin; the two shook hands. Although Picasso had managed to win, this more advanced team had fallen.

"Why's the battle over already?" Stan asked. "Diego has six Pokemon."

"The League rules state that if only one Pokemon is on a Gym Leader's team, the Challenger can only use three Pokemon," Polaris explained. "It's to keep a Pokemon like her from being overworked, but I think Nevin is the only one who uses the rule. The battles are always only him or only his Rhyperior."

"But doesn't that make things harder if that one Pokemon is very strong?" Eve asked.

"Can't be that bad, if that Smeargle beat him alone," Stan said, causing Picasso to blow a raspberry at him.

"Um, actually they have to hold back if the Challenger doesn't have many badges," Polaris said. "That's why, no matter what type it is, your first Gym is always the easiest."

"So you picked one of the harder Gyms to take on early?" Eve put her hand to her chin, thoughtful. "Stan picked what he said was the easiest." She laughed.

"Well I've got more badges than you both," Stan claimed, then got up and went downstairs to meet with his brother.

Polaris, Picasso, and Eve followed after him. "I don't really care about badges," the girl said. "I'm studying under my aunt to become a researcher. She's the League's official Professor. I watch the battles so I can see how Pokemon act and such."

Down in the stone hallway, Diego looked serious, as if replaying the battle over in his mind. "Well that's another loss against this Gym. The Salamence could have beaten her if he'd just listen to me… You're lucky you cleared this one early, before they get to the stage where they use nasty tactics against Challengers. What TM do you get here anyhow?"

"Oh, I hadn't checked yet. I was watching your battle." He opened up the brown box. It included a note for 1600 dollars, the badge, and a TM labeled Mud Slap. Taking out the Monolith Badge, Polaris noted that it was made up of a yellow-tan obelisk. There had been one of those obelisk monoliths in the center of Lia Saia, hadn't there?

"So for beating this tough Gym, your Pokemon learns to throw mud at its opponent?" Stan asked skeptically.

"It was that move that messed my guys up," Diego said. "Mud Slap aims to decrease accuracy along with dealing some damage. Well, looks like I've got more training to do. Sad thing is, I'm stuck with a disobedient dragon until I earn one more badge, and I've stalled on the three Gyms I have left."

"My dragon won't disobey me," Stan insisted, presumably speaking of his Glazicle.

"Well then we ought to go around for your Gym challenges for a bit," his brother said. "What're you doing, Polaris?"

"I'm starting out for Deidre tomorrow," he replied. "But it's been nice meeting you guys."

"You too," Eve said, patting Picasso on his beret and getting a hug from the Pokemon in response.

"Same here." Diego and Polaris shook hands. The teen then winked. "Maybe when you manage to catch up with me, we can battle."

"I don't plan on getting that far, but maybe," he replied.

* * *

  


Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Fleurmber

Petifleur - **Fleurmber** -Fleurdifir

Type: Grass/Fire

Ability: Overgrow

Description: It has the same nut head/body, just grown. The leaves under it have grown less numerous, but larger; it also has three vines. The bulb is now bright orange and the small flower on the bulb tip is red.

Notes: Once a Fleurmber, this Pokemon's fire-making chemicals stabilize, although there are still chances of it burning itself on accident. It is able to handle extreme weather conditions, like deserts and icy areas, better than other Grass-types. Take caution in handling Fleurmber's flower bulb. Never spray water directly onto the bulb, as it unsettles them. And be aware that the bulb is where most of its fire-making chemicals are, so it can get extremely hot during and after battle. (S. Redbird)

 

Jasper Regional Guide

Key Search: Lia Saia

Lia Saia is a port city located on the tip of the Leni River delta, in the southeastern part of the Sea of Jasper before the coastline turns northward. It is well-known for its grand marketplace and historical significance. In Arkahna culture, the place where the Leni River meets the Sea of Jasper is held as a sacred grounds as part of their origin story. South of that area and out of the marshy delta grounds is the city itself. Major sites of the city include the ancient coliseum, various stone obelisks, the Temple of Santiperra, the Ground type Gym, and the Kefris Library.


	8. Rojo Canyon

December 9th, year 58

They decided to walk down to Deidre from Lia Saia. It would be a couple of days on foot as opposed to a couple of hours by ferry, but Polaris figured he might be able to catch a Pokemon on the way. Maybe. His loss of the Glazicle was still on his mind.

This area was torn between the rocky edge of the Amarillo desert and the floodplains of the Leni River. The former was desolate, with sand as far as the eye could see. The latter was capricious, flooding with deadly waters once a year, but keeping a thriving farm industry the rest. And it could be seen in the resident Pokemon. Waterphobic ones such as Sandshrew, Geodude, Hipopotas, and Ponyta lived near waterphilics like Wooper, Marill, Lotad, and Croagunk. But which one would be most useful to him?

He was thinking through them when he spotted a sphere of green near some rocks. Three of them, to be precise. They were attached to a brown Pokemon that seem to be imitating a bush.

Touching Picasso's shoulder, he pointed to it. "It's a Bonsley. We could try catching that one."

The Smeargle gave him a skeptical look.

"Okay, so I might be sentimental in suggesting that," he admitted. "But I like them."

He shrugged, then followed Polaris off the path. The Bonsley was hiding near a canyon in the large red cliffs that had followed the route so far. As they approached, it got startled and ran into the canyon. Thinking that there might be others around, Polaris pursued the small Rock Pokemon.

After a while, he had to admit that he had lost the Bonsley. He stopped to catch his breath and take a sip of water from his canteen. "That's too bad. Maybe we should try one that wants to fight us."

Picasso tugged at Polaris' shirt. "Ga!"

"Hmm, what is it?" He looked at the Smeargle, then looked at the wall he was pointing to.

Although faded by time, there was a painting on the canyon wall. It showed an Arkahn woman looking over to a part of the wall that was loosely filled in with rocks. A variety of symbols surrounded her, although the one Polaris could make out best was a single straight line, horizontal, between her and the cracked wall. Most interesting was what she held in her right arm. It was the strange white tablet that could summon flowers. On the tablet, there was a dot in one corner, then the straight line symbol.

"Is it something they made?" Polaris wondered aloud. Then he put his bag down and searched for the tablet. "I'm sure I brought it... here."

While he was getting that, Picasso jumped around and looked up. He glared at an empty spot, then turned around slowly. "Grrrrr," he went softly.

"Something around here?" Polaris glanced around, but didn't see anything. "Maybe it's more wild Pokemon. I do have the weirdest feeling that someone's watching." He got up, holding onto the tablet.

He tried resting it in his right arm like the picture, but had to swap to the left to use his preferred hand. He glanced down at the leaf pendant; it glowed faintly, indicating that Garnet was watching. Hopefully, that's what it meant. Polaris observed the drawing again, then put a dot in the upper right corner and a single line stroke across the tablet, left to right.

The tablet glowed briefly, then fired a beam of brown-red energy. It struck the rubble and sent the rocks tumbling to the ground. Behind it, there was a small cavern.

Looking at the fallen rubble, Polaris felt a tinge of disbelief. "Did... it just used Rock Smash, didn't it? What is this thing?"

"That does seem to be one of its functions," Garnet's voice said.

"Maybe I should have shown it to Nevin."

"We will have to be careful…"

Picasso interrupted with a fierce squall. He grabbed Polaris and pulled him back. As he started to yell at him, a massive clatter of metal caught his attention. Close to where he'd been standing, there was now a tall Pokemon with battered orange-red armor, a gouge across her forehead, and a tip cut off one of her translucent wings. The old Scizor snarled at them.

Pulling the tablet close, Polaris moved back towards the cavern. "I-I don't mean any harm. We weren't trying to bother you."

"Kzzz kri kzzzz," the Scizor replied, pointing with a pincer hand towards the tablet. "Klick kli kli kzzz ka kzzzz."

"She recognizes the tablet," Garnet translated. "But she says that it shouldn't be in hands of one with orange hair."

Puzzled, he looked to the wild Bug. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"Kah, krizzz kli klick kri kzzz." Now she didn't sound quite so intimidating. She was about as puzzled as Polaris was.

Garnet was quiet for a bit, then said, "It's normally in the hands of the Arkahns."

"Kah nie ne kri re?"

"She wants to know how you can use it."

"Pfft," Picasso said. "Ne na feh rei."

"I don't know myself," Polaris started. But the Scizor shook her head and walked off.

For a moment, he stepped out of the cavern and looked around. Five Scythers were perched on the canyon wall overhead. Most of them scattered at the Scizor's sign, but one remained watching the chamber. And him.

"Even the Pokemon around here recognize this?" Polaris thought aloud. "Maybe they tell each other about the wall painting." He picked up his bag and brought it into the chamber.

To his disappointment, there wasn't much in here. A few low stones, like tables, lay on the ground. There were some hieroglyphs on the back wall, but Polaris didn't know what they meant. "Do you know what this says, Garnet?"

"I'm afraid not," she replied, sounding distinctly embarrassed. She appeared by the wall, looking over them. Her dark colors blended into the shadows of the medium-colored sandstone. "It's… different."

He might come across a translator in Deidre, though. Trading his tablet for a sketchbook, he copied the row of glyphs. "So what do you know of the tablet?"

"I know how it works in theory. But in practice, I'm not certain. I was…" she stopped abruptly. "I wasn't around when it was made," she finished, possibly covering up something. But Polaris didn't feel like pushing her at this moment.

He stepped back out and saw that the watch Scyther was still above him. The battered old Scizor was also out there, leaning against the canyon wall and watching around. With her armor color matching the surrounding rocks, even Polaris might have missed her. She was an impressive creature. He didn't dare think of trying to catch this one, or even one of the Scythers. But he could catch the Bug's image.

Finding a shadowed spot in the entrance, he sat down and began sketching the Scizor. It was a test of an artist's skill, catching the difference between the normal bends of the metal coat and the scarred damage inflicted on said coat. And then to catch the hard gaze of the Pokemon's eyes. This wasn't one who liked to mess around. When she emerged from hiding, she meant business.

Picasso took a nap and Garnet had vanished, so Polaris kept drawing. He did some work on the Scyther who watched him, and on the other Scythers who moved in to speak to the Scizor or the guard, then quickly moved on. And there were a few other Pokemon that were allowed into the swarm's territory. A Sandshrew, three Baltoys, the occasional bird...

"Kzzzt."

He looked up and saw that the Scizor had moved back to him. "Uh, did you want me to move on?"

Keeping her pincers closed, she gestured to the sketchbook. "Kri?"

"Oh, um, you want to see this? Sure, I guess." He flipped back to a picture of the Bug, then handed it up. Strange. He wouldn't have thought a Bug Pokemon like that would be interested in art. Pokemon were mysterious creatures.

She looked over the drawing. Then, with a delicate touch, she flipped through a few pages without tearing a single one. "Mmmmm..." She handed the sketchbook back. "Ku." She waved away from the cave, then looked back at him.

"You want me to come with you?"

She nodded. Polaris nudged Picasso, then got up and followed the old Scizor. Deeper in the canyon, she led them to another symbol on the wall. This one was of a box with two horizontal lines coming from one side. It was on a large block that had been placed beside the canyon wall.

The Scizor tapped it. "Kazi." Then she went into a long explanation of something. Polaris glanced down and noticed his pendant had a red glow. So he waited patiently.

When she was done, Garnet piped up again. "She says that as long as she's been alive, nobody has been able to move this stone and enter the place beyond it. But the ancestors, her ancestors I mean, say that the Arkahn warriors could move it, along with some Pokemon that don't normally live in this canyon. But it is a special place, meaningful to the owner of the tablet and where some… one sleeps. That's not quite it, but it's the best translation I can put into human words."

"Like it requires the move Strength? I don't think I can do that."

"You did Rock Smash... well not exactly, but you cleared those rocks."

Polaris thought. "I did. Maybe..." He pulled out the tablet and observed the symbol.

"Remember that dot. It seems to signify an order rather than a copy."

"Okay." He placed the dot in the corner, then copied the symbol on the rock. Again, it glowed, but this time it transferred the yellow glow to his hands. Setting the tablet under his arm, he pushed against the large boulder.

And it moved, as easily as if it had been on wheels.

"Wooooo," Picasso said in a low tone. He clapped his forepaws.

Polaris looked down at his hands, still glowing softly. "I... this is amazing. I shouldn't have been able to make that thing budge."

The old Scizor pointed into the chamber behind the boulder. "Ti, kzzzka hzzzz ki."

"She says we might learn more about it inside," Garnet translated.

"All right. Thank you, lady Scizor." He bowed to her.

Apparently amused by that, she clicked softly, then went back to her swarm.

Polaris and Picasso then turned to what the boulder had hidden. Unlike the other chamber, this one did not look natural. It had been carved out into a long rectangular hall and smoothed down flat. There wasn't much to be seen, as darkness filled the hall. "Great," he said to himself. "The one thing I didn't think to buy was a flashlight."

Picasso chuckled, then darted over to where an old torch lay. Twisting it just so, he dropped down on all fours and traced a flame symbol within a circle. Flamethrower briefly illuminated the chamber hall, catching the end of the torch on fire. The Smeargle then picked it up and brandished it forward. "Aai!"

"Um, thanks. I hope it doesn't go out... or completely burn up. You be careful with it."

With the chamber now lit, they saw that it did end fifty feet away. A doorway had been cut out to a set of stairs. Within the stairway, Polaris saw a small hole in the ceiling which cast a diamond shaped fragment of light on the floor. Another light diamond was further down the stairs. That meant the place was ventilated, so there was little risk of them suffocating or encountering deadly stagnant air. They went down to the next chamber; Garnet was soon floating beside them.

It was the same size as the one above, fifty feet by twenty by twelve. In the back of this chamber was a doorway, made of a darker stone than the native walls. And in front of that was a statue of a Garchomp. Filling the walls on all sides were Arkahn murals accompanied by hieroglyphic text.

"Hidden murals? I wonder what this place is about." He moved closer to the wall on his left side. "The ancient Arkahns have a distinctive art style, this stylized and bold form to make two dimensional paintings look three dimensional. But they didn't use perspective like modern artists do. I've read some articles that they may have known how to use perspective, yet chose to use this look."

They walked along the wall, observing the murals as they couldn't understand the hieroglyphs. In the first, there was a woman in a light green cloak watching a dark violet figure wearing a black crown with long twisted points. The crowned figure held a bony hand out to a pile of gems, apparently offering them to her. However, the woman seemed to be refusing. In the second picture, a woman in a blue cloak had accepted the offer. In the third picture, the crowned figure had half-eaten the woman while she still held onto the jewels she had taken.

"I wonder if these are parables," Polaris thought aloud. "This would be a warning against temptation. I think I've seen this devil figure in their work before."

The next series of pictures was about two men. One was proud of his strength; the Arkahns weren't known for being bulky and buff, so the artists had shown this by having him lift a Tauros over his head. In contrast, the other man held a broom and swept off the porch of his home. In the next picture, it showed that wild Pokemon had gotten sick, driving them into aggressive behaviors. In the third picture, the sick Pokemon attacked the village. The strong man had run off, while his neighbor stayed behind and fought off the attackers. In the fourth, the village celebrated him while ignoring the boaster.

The third series showed a woman and her master Pokemon caught in a storm. It seemed that they were lost, but they continued on and found their way home. A fourth series showed a man others thought was strong, but it was discovered that he used other methods, possibly some kind of early enhancing drug, to get his strength. After that, he was shunned.

"Some are folklore, but some are truth," Garnet said solemnly while floating at the last panel.

Looking back over the wall, Polaris made a connection. "All these parables are about strength in some way. Strength to avoid temptation, using your strength to do right instead of to boast, having the strength to continue in the face of adversity, relying on natural strength instead of temporary boosts... and it's got a statue of a strong Pokemon to boot."

When he turned to the Garchomp statue, he noticed a network of thin cracks. He pitied the deteriorated statue for a moment. Then light shone through the marble surface. After a few ominous cracks, the statue's surface crumbled and fell away. Standing on the pedestal now was a living Garchomp instead of a stone statue.

It wasn't any ordinary Dragon either. The few Garchomps he had seen were dark blue and black. This one was a dark orange-brown with red markings. After giving the pair a look over, she grumbled something.

Picasso crossed his arms over his chest. "Ne mi pah."

"She's asking you to state your name and business," Garnet said.

Polaris nodded. "R-right. I'm Polaris Starr; this is Picasso. We're just looking around; a Scizor living in this canyon showed us how to get in here."

Dropping down, the Garchomp sniffed the tablet in Polaris' arms, then his pendant. She then back flipped off into a battle pose. "Geh rah ne, gurr raid geh reh!"

Picasso darted in between them. "Ske phe tai ka!" he shouted, furiously twisting his arms up. "Kesh ke pah!"

Polaris stepped back and clasped his pendant. "Garnet, what's going on?"

"She says that you must battle her and prove your strength. Picasso's trying to battle for you."

For several minutes, the argument between Garchomp and Smeargle went on. Then Picasso hung his head and sighed. "Ne sa?"

"Greee ain reh."

He hopped back and patted Polaris' arm. "Ne seh ba. Toh, tai pahra pa reh." Then he moved off to a wall where he could watch.

"The Garchomp says that the bearer of the tablet must prove his or her worth," Garnet translated, sounding nervous. "For her, it must be in battle. Picasso says that he's sorry he has to stay out of this, but suggests drawing the symbols he uses in battle on the tablet."

Polaris felt his throat go dry. "I have to fight her? But I'm not one of the Arkahn warriors."

"You have an Arkahna artifact. That's why."

"I see. I'll try." He grabbed the glass brush.

And soon had to run out of the way as the Garchomp rushed him. Panicking, he drew the first symbol in his mind, the flame symbol Picasso had last used. The tablet glowed, the energy turned red, but what came was a small fireball of Ember instead of the fierce plume of Flamethrower. And it did absolutely nothing to the Garchomp.

No, she was a Ground-Dragon. He drew the diamond symbol for Ice and got a sparkling beam from it, like a rainbow trapped in ice. But that was still the weaker Aurora Beam, not Ice Beam. Before he could think of what to do, the Garchomp was next to him. The Pokemon slammed her shoulder into him, knocking him to the ground. He blacked out.

* * *

December 10th, year 58

Polaris was in a dark cavern. The walls, floor, and ceiling were rough with gravel and edges. A natural cave? Or a ruined building? But, his hazy mind thought, this wasn't where he was. He was in a carved chamber in a red canyon. Right?

Golden light moved further down the tunnel, like a strange fire in a distant chamber. Something was greatly reassuring about that light. Yes, everything would be okay if he could reach that light. He walked forward, holding his hands on a wall to help guide him. Then with a soft hiss, something cold and scaly grabbed hold of his ankles and one of his wrists. He screamed, causing the light to move in an almost startled manner.

And with that, the dream faded.

A glowing symbol appeared in front of... no, above him. He was lying on a stone surface. The symbol was just a hazy circle at first, but it settled into a spiral of small lines in wide angles. Although he was certain that he should still feel the impact of the Garchomp's shoulder, he felt no pain. He was simply a little cloudy minded, waking up as normal.

"Eh?" A furry paw clasped his arm. Picasso was watching him curiously.

"I'm okay now, I guess." He sat up and looked around.

The Garchomp was in the small room with him. The fire of a torch on the wall causing shifting shadows on the orange Pokemon's body. Without her previous aggressiveness, she handed over a clay bowl with three cactus fruits in it.

"Oh, thank you," he said, realizing how hungry he was. From the marks on the flesh, the fruits had already been peeled. They had a slight tang and were slick. "Have we been here all night?"

Picasso nodded.

"Gae ain reh," the Garchomp pointed to the pendant.

"This is a healing chamber," Garnet said. "They're rare, but were used before Pokecenter technology came about."

"That's all that healed me?" he asked, looked around the 'chamber'. It had the glowing spiral on the ceiling and floor, plus hexagons around the wall.

"Picasso says it produces the same kind of energy as Recover. Anyhow, this is Tesla, the shrine maiden. While you failed her test, she feels that it's because you're not ready."

"I didn't come in here for a test," he reminded them.

Tesla shrugged.

"The tablet you have is an important Arkahn artifact, enough so that the local Pokemon have passed on their own legends about it. This place is known as the Shrine of Strength. Your attempts were not strong enough to pass. She suggests that if you want to increase the power of your work, you should visit some of the other Shrines.

Other shrines? Would they have other strong Pokemon? "Why? I don't know what the tablet is, or means. Shouldn't I give it back to the Arkahns?"

"I suggested that too. Tesla says that if we head on to Deidre, we can find a place that will show if we deserve to keep the tablet."

"We?"

"Yes... it is my link to this world. If you gave it up, I would be disconnected from it and have to return from where I came from."

Careful not to get it sticky, he touched the pendant. "You would? Where did you come from, Garnet?"

"I'd rather not talk about that yet," she replied quickly. "But I came to help you, and so I will, however you chose to do things."

"What is the place in Deidre?"

"She says there are bells, but that's all she knows."

"I see. What about these other shrines?"

"They're for Skill, Heart, and Courage. And two more, but she says we can't visit them until we pass all of the tests."

"Ke fa," Picasso added.

"Right, and he thinks you'd be best off starting with Skill."

"I guess so. We'll head for Deidre first." He got up and looked to Tesla. "I'll probably come back to try your test again sometime, but I dunno how long it'll take me. Thanks for your help."

Tesla nodded, then returned to her pedestal. As Polaris and Picasso walked by her, she turned back to stone.

* * *

December 12th, year 58

It was getting dark, but there was no town in sight. Instead, Polaris came across a roofed pavilion with a stone fireplace in the center. He checked around, but there were no signs indicating that it was anything other than a shelter. "I hope it's okay if we stay here the night," he said. "We'd better set up, then."

Picasso helped to start a fire in the fireplace, while Polaris found a battered old broom and used it to sweep off the floor. He had thought to get some camping meals just in case and shared with his Smeargle. Since Picasso looked worn out from a day of travel and battle, Polaris brought out his cushion and blanket before setting up his own sleeping bag. The Pokemon was asleep quickly.

On the other hand, Polaris found himself staying up for a while, thinking. The fire was the only light down here. When he stepped out from under the roof, only the partial moon gave any light from above. The desert air quickly chilled, so he had to bring out his winter coat. But when he did, he found that he could see more stars in the sky than he had ever seen before. As he watched, a streak of light suddenly appeared, shooting across the sky before vanishing. It was followed by another, and two more. A meteor shower had begun. He stayed up and watched it for some time.

Shooting stars were supposed to grant wishes. He wondered what he wanted to wish for. Recalling the festival some months ago, he had made a simple wish back then. But now? Oddly enough, he found himself missing his daily lunch with Megan. She had been working when he had left St. Rosaline, so they had said their goodbyes that morning. Come to think of it… he missed her. They had just been friends.

Just? He had admired her greatly. And she had done a lot for him, even bringing him soup the day he had gotten Picasso. For a moment, he felt like he wanted something more. But he was far from her now. Would it be appropriate to call her now, or was it too late?

Footsteps in the sand distracted him from the meteor shower. Polaris looked over to see a man approaching the shelter. It was tough to see in this low light, but he seemed to be a tall thin man. He wore an odd hat, though, with a wide brim that drooped over his face. Although the air had winter's chill, he only seemed to be wearing some kind of poncho against it.

"Good evening, sir," Polaris said.

The odd man came up closer before replying, "Good evening to you as well. It's been a long time."

Feeling strange at those words, he shrank back some. "Has it? I'm sorry, but I don't recall you."

"A long time," the man repeated, sounded tired. "I'm not surprised that you don't remember me. But I, I remember you very well Polaris."

"Who are you?"

"People call me the old Lurker. That's the main name I have, Lurker."

Something about the name seemed familiar, but Polaris couldn't think of why. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk with you about the artifact that you have. The white glass tablet."

Very suspicious now, Polaris looked Lurker more carefully. He didn't appear to have any weapons, but that dark poncho could be hiding something. He wore an odd necklace of large beads; it was hard to identify further in this darkness. And there was something that wasn't quite right about him. Polaris felt that way, but couldn't explain to himself why. "How do you know about that?"

Lurker brought his hand up and waved it. "It's okay. You do not need to fear me."

Strangely, Polaris found himself relaxing. Not quite to the point of being tired, but enough that he wasn't afraid anymore. "What about the tablet?"

He pulled his hand back into his poncho. "It is a very powerful artifact. Very ancient. You know how the Arkahn warriors can wield the powers they were taught by their Pokemon masters? They are limited to only that which is known to their masters. The artifact allows you to wield any power used by any Pokemon. Any, even the gods themselves. You need only know the symbol which unlocks the power and have the inner strength and imagination to make it work. You could spend decades acquiring symbols and not even begin to tap into the tablet's full potential. But, there is another way."

Something that powerful was in his hands? And obeying him? If the wielder knew enough symbols, he or she could be as powerful as the gods, or even more so. Some part of him asserted that it had to be used for good, as he had promised Sienna. But he still felt strangely relaxed. "Another way to that power?"

"Follow me into the desert. I know another place where the tablet's powers can be unlocked."

"Polaris, don't do it!" Garnet's voice broke the moment. "He means you harm."

The relaxing hypnosis was broken, in time for Polaris to see Lurker glare at the pendant. "You? You aren't even a proper ghost. You can do nothing against me."

"You won't have any power if we do not help you," she asserted.

"Do you think so?" Lurker began to fade. "You don't have to give me anything. I will make you." But then he vanished, leaving no trace that he was there. Not even a footprint.

"Who was that?" Polaris asked, touching the pendant.

"I don't know. But that spirit wasn't even human. Do you recognize the name?"

"Maybe. I can't place it, though." He was still looking where the spirit had been. "But what's he doing here?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't trust him."

"You're right."

Polaris went back to check on Picasso, but the Smeargle was still sleeping peacefully. The human went to sleep himself a short while later.

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: orange-colored Garchomp

Many Pokemon have regional, sometimes local, differences due to the genetic pool available. These subspecies are usually similar to others. Some subspecies have different moves learned at different times.

Gible line subspecies: This group is notable for their orange, red, and tan coloration as opposed to the Sinnoh's blue, gray, and black coloration. They live in the southern desert region, mostly in the central uninhabited areas. While groups can be found in areas with unusual sandstorm activity, Trainers are advised to avoid attempting capture during those sandstorms.

Scyther subspecies: Located at rocky areas near the Leni River, Scythers are rarely seen although they tend to swarm in large groups. Their green exoskeleton is more muted than most subspieces, with tan markings around the edges. This allows them to blend into the local environment better.

Scizor subspieces: Located in rocky canyons near the Leni River, particularly one known as Rojo Canyon, Scizors can be found wild. However, they seem to be extremely resistant to capture and will often escape with aide from comrades. Their exoskeleton is orange-red, matching the iron-rich stones in the canyons. They manage to evolve by consuming iron-enriched dirt over a long period of time. According to the local Arkahna people, this evolution method is risky as the Scyther can quickly become ill and die while trying to build up enough iron.


	9. The Arkahn Spirit Clan

December 14th, year 58

It took four days of travel total to reach Deidre. Thankfully, there were tiny little towns on the way and they were able to find places to rest and buy supplies. Then they came upon Deidre late at night.

The desert town felt even more ancient than Lia Saia. Buildings were made of simple clay bricks and coated in white to reflect the sun's heat. The stone streets were narrow, with only a few wide enough for carts. A great many houses had bright banners woven from many different color strips of fabric. Even the modern places, like the Pokecenter and Pokemart, had adopted older buildings and adjusted their signs to fit in with Deidre's atmosphere.

And many of the people around seemed to be of Arkahn descent. They were fairly easy to pick out: black hair slightly tinged by natural colored highlights, brown to dark brown skin. Not like his Hoenn lineage, marked by the warm color of his hair. So even when many of them wore modern clothing, he stood out as an outsider.

'And I have some artifact that belongs to them,' he thought, a bit guilty. He could hope it wasn't too important. Given its power, it probably was.

He checked into the Pokecenter for the night. On the road here, he hadn't been able to access the internet. Now that he could, he sent a message to Megan, as he wanted to tell somebody he could trust about the tablet. He told her about going into the Shrine of Power but failing some test he didn't know was coming, then asking if she knew about the other shrines. She gave a quick response a short time later, saying that she would ask one of her friends about it.

The next day, they explored a local marketplace. Polaris bought a flashlight from one of them, so he didn't get stuck in a dark place again. Before he moved on, he asked the vendor, "Excuse me, but would you tell me where the art museum is?"

She nodded. "Sure. If you go down here to the street marked by a yellow flag with a black diamond, take that past two of its turns and turn left at the house with pink flowers, then it's five buildings along on the right."

So Deidre had a wandering street design like St. Rosaline? "All right, thank you."

He followed the directions. He wasn't sure about the house with pink flowers until he saw it: a house like any other, except the window boxes were filled with pink flowers and the home banner had pink silk flowers sewn onto it. From there, it wasn't far to reach the museum.

To make itself noticeable, the art museum had a tile mosaic similar to the Lia Saia Gym. A set of black tiles formed a string of words that mimicked calligraphy: Cecily Museum of Art. There was a statue up front of a Sandslash perched on a rock, observing the museum visitors. It wasn't the most elegant or the toughest Sandslash ever; this one had a few damaged spikes and a cut in its ear. However, it had an authenticity to it that attracted Polaris, like one that could be met in the wild.

He touched the Sandslash. "I like this kind of style," he told Picasso. "It looks better to me than those carefully prepared and presented Contest Pokemon."

The Smeargle nodded, tilting his head to look over the statue.

"This place ought to be good. Let's go."

Behind the reception desk was a middle-aged Arkahn man, his spiked black hair slightly tinted green. He brushed off some tan dust from his white shirt in a bored manner. "Good afternoon," he said dryly. "The entry fee is five dollars."

"Sure. Is it okay to have my Smeargle out?"

"Just make sure that he doesn't mark anything."

He glanced down at Picasso; he was sniffing the air. "Yeah, I'll keep him close." He handed over the fee, then asked, "Is there anyone in who can translate Arkahn hieroglyphs?"

"Our staff is short-handed at this time," the receptionist said, "but I can handle translations."

"Good, thanks. Here." He pulled out his sketchbook and opened it. It came to one of the pictures of the old Scizor, so he searched back for the hieroglyph copy.

The receptionist leaned down, touching the page with the Scizor. "Hmm... so you ran into old Scepta."

"Scepta? Yeah, I saw her a few days ago. She has a name?"

He nodded. "She's supposedly the oldest wild Scizor on record at twenty-seven years. It's a lot longer than most Bug Pokemon live out in the wild. Many people around here respect Scepta and don't try to capture her anymore. This is an excellent drawing of her."

He smiled bashfully. "Thanks. Here's what I copied; I found a small chamber in the canyon Scepta and her swarm were in."

The receptionist slowly examined the copy. "In Scepta's canyon, is that so? I've seen records of this, but the location has been lost. This here," he pointed to a centipede image, "is Santiperra, one of the six legendary Pokemon known as our Spirit Clan. Santiperra is a powerful force of the earth; here, it says that he awaits one whose strength comes from within. And, one whose strength is false will be turned aside and made humble."

So that meant Tesla was a servant to Santiperra, or something like that. "Okay thank you."

"I'll make a note to the curator that someone ought to check out that cavern," he added. "Since we know it's where the Scizors live, it shouldn't be that hard to locate."

The pair walked through the museum for several hours. At every half-hour, the bells tolled. Once for the half-hour, then some kind of melody for the hour, plus the number of hours passed. Polaris noticed, but kept walking through the museum until he found an image with the tablet.

There was a display of a local building, the Deidre Temple of Desolaire. He had heard of the place before. Its architecture was amazing for an ancient structure, a lofty stone building that made dense and heavy materials seem light and airy. From the lack of explanation plates like the rest of the museum, this display was still under construction.

On one wall, there was a tapestry that seemed to be of a scene inside the Temple, up in the belfry. A woman in a green dress, oddly similar to the depiction in Santiperra's shrine, held onto the tablet. If he interpreted the lines right, she was making the bells ring without touching the ropes. In a white square at the corners of the tapestry, there was a symbol. A jagged spiral, like the one in the healing chamber, but with curved lines squiggling outward.

"A sun symbol?" he asked himself.

Picasso clucked his tongue, then pointed to the symbol.

"Yes, that's probably one I want to know." He took his sketchpad and spent several minutes simply drawing the sun symbol over and over again. Then he pulled out the tablet and drew the symbol there.

The tablet flashed white when it was complete, but all that happened was a warm breeze stirring the air.

"It felt kind of like the sun's rays," Polaris said to Picasso. "I suppose we should go there to see about it."

The Pokemon agreed.

* * *

The receptionist of the museum picked up the phone, dialing a number he usually didn't call. "This is the Arkahn Sun Knights office. Who are you and what is your business?"

"I'm Kieren Lestral and I work for the Cecily Art Museum in Deidre. I just spotted one of our guests with the sacred tablet."

"Who was it?"

"An outsider. He didn't sign the guest book and paid in cash. He was in our upcoming display of the temples. Although I couldn't hear him speak, I saw the air shine and stir to the orders of the Transcriber."

"Hmm. Is he still in Deidre?"

"I would assume so. He is likely heading for the local temple next."

"Very well. We have some knights nearby. Is there anything in particular about him?"

"Um... yes, he asked me for a translation on some hieroglyphs. He discovered the chamber before Santiperra's Shrine of Power. And he had a stunning drawing of the Scizor Scepta."

* * *

After getting some lunch at the marketplace, Polaris and Picasso headed to the Temple of Desolaire. There were statues all around of many different legendary Pokemon and heroes. But only those the Arkahn knew of. They had an image of Rayquaza, but none of Kyogre or Groudon. They had Mew, Ho-oh, and Lugia, but not the other legends of Kanto and Johto. They did not have Celebi, Jirachi, or Manaphy. But they did have six that the other regions did not. Polaris looked over their statues, curious.

Santiperra, Strength of Earth. He was a centipede with natural battle armor, coiled around as if judging the viewer. Polaris had a distinct feeling that he had come close to Santiperra himself back in the Shrine.

Hu-kyo, Heart of Thunder. At first glance, Hu-kyo appeared to be a mistaken Gyarados, with no arms and long fluttering fins along his sides. But then there were clear signs he was a true Dragon: the subtle difference of scales and the shape of his teeth. His statue was kept well polished, so his fins shone like lightning.

Zepharia, Skill of Air. Despite the plaque, Zepharia looked like the last thing it could do was fly. He had a bird-like shape; that is, if a crane's form was carved onto a lyre and its wings like the skin of a drum stretched over a bow. It was an odd statue, one that told Polaris that Zepharia was best seen in person, not in a statue form.

Misaillo, Courage of Water. Misaillo was definitely a form of sea life, but she seemed to have large sails attached to her fins. It seemed like she could rush out of the water and glide through the air.

Lunarium, Soul of the Moon. Lunarium's statue was bewildering, a patchwork of images, colored stones, and strange textures. Apparently Lunarium was difficult to capture in statue form as well.

Desolaire, Soul of the Sun. Her statue was inside, covered in gold. A glass orb flecked with gold leaf was the center of the statue. Downward, a large ribbon of metal spiraled out and down. Thinner ribbons came upward, twisting in an almost modern style to form a long ponytail and open arms.

When Polaris looked at the statue of Desolaire, he felt tingles all down his spine. It was simply a representation in metal, but as he approached it, strange images flashed through his mind of the statue escaping her pedestal with bubbly laughter, dancing for a bit within the vast Temple, then rushing away for the greater space of the sky. It was almost disappointing when he blinked his eyes and the statue was still there, unmoving.

"Eh," Picasso said. He waved his hand in a circle, moving upward.

"You think she should be moving too?"

He nodded.

"It's strange for outsiders to be inside the Temple," a voice behind them said.

Tensing, Polaris turned. It turned out to be a priest, dressed in black robes. Around his neck, there hung a gold pendant of the sun symbol. "Oh, I'm an artist. I love the design of this place."

"I see." The priest gestured to the Desolaire statue. "We used to hold artists in great esteem, for they have the power to freeze life, to make a moment last much longer. I'm afraid it's not the same anymore. The advance of technology saps the appreciation of older skills."

"Yeah. Um, I was just curious, but is the belfry accessible to the public?"

"I wouldn't mind showing you the great bells, but I have tasks to attend to and a service to plan. You can't enter the chamber where the ropes are, but if you take the staircase over there, you can see the bells for yourself."

"That would be great. Thank you."

"Just keep an eye on your watch. You don't want to be directly underneath them on the hour and half-hour, when they ring."

"Right, that'd be deafening." He took Picasso's hand. "Come on, let's go."

Ten minutes later, a young woman ran into the Temple. She wore a cream-colored cape with green trim. With her were a Scyther and a Scizor, both locals. She located the priest and went to him. "Holy one, good afternoon to you."

He bowed his head. "Knight, good afternoon to you. What brings you here?"

"Has anyone been up to the bell chamber today?"

"Just one young man and his Smeargle. They started up not that long ago."

"Who were they?"

"I didn't catch their names. He was an outsider, but was respectful. What is the matter?"

"Don't let anyone else up there," she warned. "An outsider has stolen the sacred tablet; it may be him."

"I see. I will watch down here. Take care, knight."

She nodded, then raced up the stairs with her Pokemon masters.

* * *

Polaris checked his watch. "Phew, that was a long climb. We've got ten minutes." Then he looked around the belfry.

The walls were barely there; giant columns held the weight of the roof and bells, leaving plenty of air for the sound to spread out from. The bells themselves were all different sizes. Made of a slightly-green mostly-black metal, they had all the signs of a master at work. Smooth edges, no scratches, no dents, no blemishes. Polaris was able to tap one lightly with his fingernail and get a small ringing hum out of it.

He saw Picasso bracing himself for a shoulder tackle. "Whoa, no," he said, dropping down to put his hands on the Smeargle's shoulder. "I've got to try making them ring without touching them. And I don't think the priest will be too happy if you tackled one of the bells."

After snorting, he hopped away and looked out the window slots. He whistled and pointed.

Polaris took a glance. "That would certainly be a grand view of Deidre. But I need to find..." he spotted a raised area of the floor. Four strange poles stood at the edges. "That's the place the tapestry showed. Come on. I have a feeling it'd be safer if you're up there with me."

"Feh," he responded, but followed Polaris to the stand.

He brought out the tablet, then looked over the bells before him. "I hope I have the right idea. Nothing to do but try, I suppose." He took the glass brush and placed a dot in the corner before drawing the sun symbol.

As he was concentrating on that, Picasso saw a young woman came out from the doorway. Two Bugs were with her. The trio looked right at them, then readied their weapons. The woman included; she deftly withdrew two swords cunningly made into the shape of a Scyther's blade. "Hold it, thief!" she shouted across the bell chamber.

"Huh?" Polaris responded, pulling the glass brush closer to him. But he had completed the symbol.

The tablet started up its white glow. In response, a warm breeze began blowing through the chamber. The young woman's cloak fluttered aside, revealing yellow-green armor underneath. The Scyther raced at them with her wings, while the other two began running. Readying himself, Picasso dropped down and brought his tail up. A nice Flamethrower should keep them at bay. But then the white glow grew rapidly, turning gold. Gold flames enveloped the poles. And then the Temple bells began ringing.

Although none in the room could hear anything but the bells, the Scyther seemed to fall with a shriek, clutching her head. The Scizor's metal exoskeleton hummed in response to the bells, causing him to grimace and head back. Worried, the female warrior darted forward, avoiding running under one bell, grabbed her Scyther, and then dragged her back to where the Scizor was going. But where Polaris and Picasso were, the ringing of the bells wasn't as painful.

Even though they were retreating, Polaris gasped at the sight of the three. He stepped back quickly, almost stumbling over his own foot. It was only the volume of the bells that kept them from approaching. Once those great instruments quieted, they would come right back at them.

"Don't be afraid," a voice said.

Polaris looked around, but couldn't see who was speaking clearly through the ringing. "Wh-who...?"

"I'll protect you." The golden light returned, overwhelming his sight.

* * *

When his vision cleared, Polaris got a shock. The blue sky overhead was dazzling, spreading to all horizons with a line of puffy white clouds to the north. The land around them was entirely natural, filled with tall grasses, dead plants, and compact bushes for as far as his eyes could see. Spreading out in gently rolling hills, there appeared to be no sign of human habitation anywhere.

Picasso stood up, rustling brown grasses out of his way. He whistled worriedly, then sniffed the air. However, all he could smell were other Pokemon and plants. The two Bugs and the woman warrior with them were in this wild winter landscape.

"Where are we?" Polaris asked.

* * *

As the bells quieted down, the golden light vanished. So had the outsider and his Smeargle. Her heart pounded, partly from the shock of being caught under the full force of the Temple bells. But also from the shock of what she had witnessed. How could an outsider do something only certain Arkahns were capable of?

Her Scizor master buzzed in irritation. He didn't like having his skeleton shaken like that. Not to mention letting a target get away. But there were greater things to worry about now.

The Scyther was still crouched on the floor, gripping her head. 'Stop the ringing,' she mumbled shakily.

The woman knelt down by her other master, patting the Bug's head. Former master, really, as her training had moved up to the Scizor. Still, she felt a deep connection to her and was glad that she wanted to stay. "Skyra, it's stopped."

The Scyther brought her head up some. 'F-forgive my weakness, but it hurts so much.'

"Kzzz kri kish," the Scizor replied, taking her by the shoulder. "Kah, kzzz zi kre za kri teh."

The human looked to him. Although an evolved form, the Scizors were different enough that she didn't have full fluency with them yet. He seemed to be saying that the bells might have deafened Skyra temporarily, and that they ought to get her to the Pokecenter as soon as possible.

"Right, we'll go." She took the Scyther's other shoulder. The two of them helped her back down the bell tower.

The priest was waiting on ground level. "I know that sequence," he said. "Was it that... oh, you got caught in it?"

"We'll talk sometime later," she said to him. "I've got to get her looked at, and then we need to find a certain kinsman."


	10. Celane Grasslands Wildlife Preserve

December 14-15th, year 58

After walking for hours without any change in scenery, they camped for the night in a low spot where the grasses weren't as dense. Polaris carefully made a fire to keep warm. The night was utterly glorious, despite being frigid. Above them, winds rushed by, sometimes in great gusts that stirred his fire. They had chosen a spot that was protected from those winds, at least until the direction shifted.

Polaris made sure that the fire had dwindled before he got into his sleeping bag. Out here with all the dried grasses, a wildfire could erupt quickly. But his body was worn out after all the walking he had done today, especially in climbing up to the belfry. He wound up dozing off before he realized it.

In a dream, he found himself in the winter hills without a fire and without Picasso. But he wasn't alone. Lurker was standing near him. His thin poncho fluttered around, despite there being no wind. "How well do you know yourself?" he asked. "Can you trust yourself?"

"I can," he replied, puzzled at the questions. "Why are you taking human form?"

With an eerie dream light, Polaris could tell that his necklace was made of red beads now. "Do you know my true form?"

He nodded. "A Mismagius. Your clothing gives it away."

"Hmpf." He looked to the sky. "I have moved past the boundaries of Pokemon. My appearance reflects that. I was afraid of it at first, but now I am not. It is what it is."

"How do you know me?" Polaris asked, still wondering that.

"How well do you know yourself?" Lurker repeated.

Then the wind began to blow. No. The wind began to sing. Polaris stood up and looked to the sky. Somehow, he knew that a powerful presence was around them, making the wind sing. The wind touched his skin and felt warm.

Beside him, Lurker shrieked. Polaris looked back down to see the strange part-Mismagius part-human hold the brim of his hat over his ears. His face bore an expression of anguish. "Don't interrupt us!" he called to the wind.

"Who is it?" Polaris asked.

Lurker crouched further into a ball. "An ancient spirit. A powerful spirit. One that deserves to stay sleeping! Do not trust it. I can lead you to greater powers that it can."

In response, the singing grew stronger. Polaris heard the melody; although he couldn't understand the words (if there were words), the song touched his soul, telling him that things would become better. Then the wind picked up speed, rushing through the grasses. But they ceased being dead and brown, instead becoming fresh and green. Wildflowers popped up and blossomed. The winter chill was broken. Overhead, the one singing had brought in a glorious spring.

There, the dream ended.

When he fully woke up, it was still winter. They were still surrounded by rounded hills and frost-coated grasses. The sky stretched overhead, a plain of gray and white to match the plain of brown and white. All around them, there were no signs of civilization.

"If we're still in the Jasper region," Polaris said, "I bet we're in the Celane Grasslands. They made this into a National Park, so no one can build here. But it's at least two hundred miles across. It could take weeks for us to find a way out. And if we're not careful, we could freeze."

"Ee tai!" Picasso exclaimed, pointing in two dozen directions in a few seconds.

Polaris tried to puzzle out what he meant. Seeing a Pidgey fly away, he asked, "You mean, there's many Pokemon living around here, so why not ask one of them?"

He shrugged. Apparently that was close enough.

"It makes sense. I had a dream last night, that the wind was singing to me. I dunno, it just feels like it means something. Well, use Ice Beam on the pit; we don't want to risk any fires."

"Ko." He drew the ice symbol and froze the fire pit solid.

After adding another layer of clothes for warmth, plus his snow boots, red scarf, insulated hat, and long coat, Polaris brushed his hand over Picasso's fur. He did have his winter fur, so he might be okay. "I'd rather keep you out with me for company, but don't hesitate to let me know if you're getting too cold." He then looked around.

Despite the cold, there were some Pokemon around. They were mostly keeping low, moving around so they kept their bodies warm. Nearby, there was a herd of Gemselle gathered around a small pond. They were graceful equine Pokemon, with long curling horns and sparkling gemstones. Taller than him, they would know the lands well. The herd would travel from one pond to another, keeping on the move to throw off predators. Polaris decided to approach them.

They noticed of course. The ones who were standing guard observed him, but didn't seem to consider them a threat. When they got to the pond, one of the males came up to them. "Hufffulle."

Polaris brought his hands up. "Hold on. We're not looking for a battle."

"Teph," Picasso grumbled.

"We're rather lost and were wondering if you knew the way to where other humans are. Oh, and something else… it may be nothing, but I was just wondering." He opened up his bag and pulled out the white tablet. "Do you know of this?"

The Gemselle snorted and straightened his head up. Then he called to the others, in an odd bleating sound. As the herd turned to look at the human and Smeargle, an older female came up to them. It seemed to be the herd's leader. This Gemselle sniffed at the tablet, then sniffed Polaris. Then she bleated.

"She wants to know if you can really use it," Garnet said.

"Yeah, I can." He took the brush; it was a bit tough to draw with gloves on, but he drew a picture for her. "It's a sunflower," he said, summoning up the sunflower in reality. He took it and held it out for her.

After she checked the flower out, the Gemselle leader stepped back and bowed her head. The rest of the herd did the same. Polaris felt odd to be getting that gesture.

"Um, thanks, but I really don't know much about it. I was told to find the Arkahn Shrines to learn more about this tablet. Is there one nearby?" He paused, gripping the tablet. "I feel like the wind is alive here."

To his surprise, this got a chorus of brays from the herd, something like a mass cheer. The leader turned to the others and told them something. Then, two of the Gemselles came over and knelt down by them. "They're offering to take you to the Shrine that's here," Garnet said.

"Really? Thank you so much." He carefully got on the back of one of the Gemselle; Picasso cheered and got on the other one. Polaris pulled his scarf up over his nose, then took the backwards swept horns in hand. He'd never ridden a Pokemon like this before; hopefully it wasn't too bad. Once the two got back up fully, the herd took off to the west.

The freezing air pricked at his skin, soon followed by tiny snowflakes as they entered an area of falling snow. Those flakes then grew to be larger, until the herd was running through a gentle white mass. If he remembered right, these were duel typed Pokemon, Normal and Rock. They didn't seem to mind the cold, though, and kept running. They knew where they were going. Eventually, he did too. A dark mass appeared in the form of a hill much taller than the rest around it.

The herd stopped at a pond near the bottom of the large hill. Polaris got off the Gemselle who had taken him, then dug out a pair of Oran berries he had picked a few days ago for the two that carried them. Although they accepted the gift, the leader of the herd nudged him towards the hill. "I don't quite get what she's saying," Garnet said, "but she says if you restore what lies in the shrine, that will be all the thanks they need."

"All right, I'll look into that." He walked to the hill with Picasso. "I don't know about you," he said quietly, "but I'm a bit sore after that ride. And wet." He wiped off the snowflake debris that was on his face.

The Smeargle chuckled, then went ahead up the large hill.

After a moment of looking, he spotted something above the hill. He wasn't quite sure what it was at first due to the snowfall, but as they got higher, it took on the appearance of stone. It had a slab for the bottom with a wooden structure on top. It was six-sided and open to the sides, although there was some kind of roof over it. And it didn't appear to be attached to anything.

"Is that a gazebo floating in midair?" Polaris asked. "That is really bizarre."

It was close to noon by the time they got halfway up the hill, where things turned out to be stranger than they first thought. The rest of the climb was steep, although staggered rocks gave a potential path up. From this vantage point, Polaris could see that the hill was filled with stone pipes. There must have been something in the pipes, for as the snowy wind blew over the lands, it passed through the pipes to make a harmonious hum. And sure enough, there was a gazebo floating twenty feet above the top of the hill. Picasso began scrambling up the rocks.

Polaris gripped what was in reach and looked up. "This seems to be the Shrine of Skill," Garnet said. "I sense power of the singing wind."

With a breeze sending orange strands of hair in front of his face, he replied, "It does feel and sound like wind, also like what I dreamed of last night. Zepharia, maybe?" He began climbing up the rocks. He was afraid that one would slip out, dropping him to the ground. However, they seemed to be sturdy.

"Eh tai!" Picasso declared as Polaris struggled up the last few. He hopped back and waited.

"All right, I'm here," he said as he sat on the top. He rubbed his arms. "Man, first all those stairs, then riding a wild Pokemon, and now this hill. I'm going to be miserable by the time we get back to civilization." He turned his look outward into the swirling snow. "We ought to come back here in the spring. The view should be amazing."

The Smeargle grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. "Deh!"

"What?" He turned around and saw something that fit perfectly into the hill's weirdness.

In the center of the hill was a hexagon shaped pit. When he came in closer to look, he saw that it was lined with gray stones. Murals similar to those in the other shrine were on the six walls. In the center was a statue much like that of Tesla the Garchomp. This one, though... Polaris didn't recognize the Pokemon it depicted. It was a spiral leading up to a tiny figure of a feline Pokemon with thin bird wings.

There was a series of cuts in the wall below him, like a ladder. Although there was snow at the bottom of the pit, there was thankfully no ice in the makeshift ladder. Polaris climbed into the pit while Picasso merely jumped. After observing the pictures and hieroglyphs for a while, the young man nodded.

"I know this story, or one like it. There was a rich man who had three loyal servants. He gave them each three large gold coins, then left on a journey. When he came back, he asked the servants what they had done with their coins. This part varies, but it's something like one invested his coins in some business venture and gained many more. Another had done some trading and made a fair profit, though not as much as the other. And the third had buried his coins, still having only three. The parable is that you shouldn't hide the gifts you're given, but use them as best as you can, no matter how much or how little you are given."

At that, he heard a crumbling of the statue behind him. The tiny Pokemon was now free. Moving its wings into a humming blur, the dark blue feline flew closer. "Me! Mur meh mi maio eow, purrrr." It seemed pleased for a moment, then darted out of the way of a large snowflake. "Feh."

"It's another shrine maiden," Garnet said. "She's happy to see a new person here. Says it's been a long time since she was assigned here and no one came." Then she spoke to the maiden. "But we couldn't control the weather when we appeared, so the snowfall is just an accident."

"Oh. I'm Polaris Starr, and this is Picasso. Who are you? And, if you don't mind, what are you?"

"Maoooooooow! Murr meewww."

"She's a Kuni. Her name is Jessu."

Polaris watched as the little Kuni flew closer, wondering how Garnet got 'Jessu' out of that meowing. She landed on his shoulder, near the scarf. "Okay, Jessu. Do you have a test for me?"

"Mew. Merrow meh maow."

"She wants to see your skill. She's not specifying what, just your skill."

"Oh. Well my best skill is art. I'd draw some things for you, but the snow would ruin the paper."

"Mew!" Her wings turned into a blur.

"Brace yourself," Garnet warned right before Jessu began flying in wild circles around Polaris. The winds grew strong, then lifted him right out of the pit. The Kuni flew up and about, causing Polaris to follow her. After some showing off, she placed him on the floating gazebo.

Below them, Picasso squealed.

"Sorry," Polaris said. He took the Pokeball and recalled him. Then he released the Smeargle in the gazebo. "That better?"

Picasso immediately went to a platform of stone sitting out from one end, to look over the edge.

Now that he was up here, Polaris could see that there was a scroll hanging from one side. There was a stylized picture of Zepharia. The roof overhead gave them some shelter, although the sides were still open to the weather. While it would be a bit cold, he nodded. "Okay. I'm afraid my skills haven't been as good lately, and it's going to be tough under these conditions. But I'll give it a try."

Since she seemed to agree with that, Polaris picked a column that seemed to have a dry area and sat down there. After asking the Kuni to let them have lunch (which she shared in), he took his supplies out of computer storage and started to draw. Using a scrap of black paper, he caught a few of the snowflakes, then quickly drew them on white paper before they melted to water. Jessu landed on his shoulder and watched. Occasionally, she took off with a hum to find another vantage point. After several such drawings, he looked to her. There was an expectant look in her small blue eyes. So he started to sketch her.

Her fur was midnight blue, so he used black with highlights of blue. She had triangular ears and almond shaped eyes. Standing out on her face was her pink nose, near which grew long black whiskers. Her tiny body had short fur with a slight gleam and a long thinly folded tail. When she had been flying, that tail had spread out like a fan to match her wings. Just barely noticeable were black growths that covered the connections between her wings and her body.

Compared to her body, those wings were very large. Jessu could probably stand on his thumbnail, but her wings stretched out as much as he could spread his thumb and pinky apart. And they were oddly ethereal compared to her body, with vibrant metallic colors as she held them still. The top fur (not feathers, fur) grew emerald green, while the bottom fur was sapphire blue.

"How's that?" he asked.

Jessu mewed happily for a minute.

"She's a bit vain," Garnet noted. "But she says she's seen plenty of proof of your skill."

"Feh," she replied snootily to being called vain.

"So I've passed your test?" he asked. When she nodded, he added, "Now what?"

The Kuni darted over to the scroll and looked at him. "Maiooooo! Mew murrr mai."

"She's asking you to summon and awaken Zepharia," Garnet translated. "Like you summoned Sienna."

Polaris felt a chill in his blood on hearing that, but not from the snowstorm. "Summon Zepharia?"

"Mew," Jessu asserted with a nod.

"B-but that's a legendary Pokemon! I don't even know if it exists. Even if it did, I'm not a follower of the Arkahna religion. Why should I be the one summoning their gods?"

The Kuni fluffed her fur some and hissed.

Garnet said, "Zepharia does exist. But that still doesn't say why an outsider can be allowed to summon him. You just can."

In response, Jessu brushed down her fur in indignation. Polaris tried to look for a way of getting off the gazebo without breaking his bones in the fall. The snow on the ground made that plan more treacherous. After she calmed down, the Maiden then started explaining something.

"I guess," Garnet said. "She says that she doesn't know why an outsider has the tablet in the first place. But, you have a blood connection to it and you have a spirit guide in me, not to mention how we made the bells ring. Since it is by the gods' grace that Sienna come back to Earth, you should awaken them at the very least as thanks."

That got him. He clutched his sketchbook close. "I wouldn't mind doing something in exchange for that, or being able to do strange things with the tablet. But summoning… it just isn't right. People shouldn't mess with the legendary Pokemon."

"Maio?" She looked and sounded curious.

"Polaris?" Garnet asked, concerned.

Just being reminded of that was enough to make him feel sick. "I know the power they can wield. I was five, but I distinctly remember…"

…August, year 40

He fell onto the wet sand from the force of the earth shaking. The rain fell as heavy as it had all day, but the sun was starting to break through the clouds. With the sunlight hitting the rain drops with equal intensity, it all took on a crimson tone. The sky was bleeding.

A near deafening roar vibrated his bones. Polaris looked up fearfully at the massive red-brown Pokemon that dominated the southern beach area. In turn, there came an answering howl from the ocean. He looked out there in time to see the rival Pokemon, obscured by the thick rain, send over a massive wall of water to attack.

Although terrified, Polaris found himself unable to run while the tsunami raced towards him.

…present

Polaris shuddered. "That power very nearly killed me."

Jessu asked a question, to which Garnet replied, "Groudon and Kyogre, legends of Hoenn. They are known for having a ferocious rivalry, as it is said Groudon formed the lands while Kyogre made the seas."

"Murrrr, mew merow mi."

"She says the Spirit Clan is at peace with each other. So there's no immediate danger in summoning them. And if you were chosen by one of them, it would seem counterproductive to attack."

It made sense. Still feeling reluctant, he tried, "But I've never seen Zepharia outside of this and a statue. He seems a little complex to draw realistically."

Jessu looked at the scroll. "Murrrrr."

"Apparently, copying that scroll should work for your first time."

Not able to think of any more excuses, Polaris did his best to swallow his anxiety. "All right, I'll try." This wouldn't be a repeat of Groudon and Kyogre, he reminded himself. Although if it turned out that way, it would be his fault.

He observed the scroll for a while, then began copying to the tablet. He sensed something was different this time. While he'd never believed that he was good at having a 'sixth sense', his skin tingled and his mind hummed. It was like he was close to something immense, something that he was insignificant beside. If he really was calling on a legend the Arkahn believed in, that feeling was the truth.

When he pulled the glass brush away, the copied image appeared to be sparkling, faintly blue-green. It wasn't really his place to mess with Pokemon like this, he thought in hesitation. But Jessu, Picasso, and even Garnet were watching him expectantly. Although his mouth seemed to have gone dry, he shakily said, "Zepharia, would you please awaken and come back to the world?"

A whirlwind whipped itself into being around the hill and gazebo, causing a sharp increase in the volume of the humming pipes. They soon began whistling, but not like the cold winter wind. This sounded like a pipe organ singing out a chord. A jangle of bells sounded, along with the beating of a large drum. Soon, a strum of strings joined in. It was warm, like a touch of spring had come to December.

Squealing, Picasso ran off the platform and back to Polaris. Then a graceful bird Pokemon landed there, but unlike any others they'd seen. Zepharia had a long slender neck that had eight black scales along the back. He also had two tails, one thin and like a pick, the other wide with eight strings stretched across it. Unlike other bird Pokemon, his wings were tan and leathery with silver-blue feathers only at the edges. His orange legs were long with silver bells attached to a feathery cuff a few inches above his toes.

With a jangle of his bells, Zepharia stepped forward, bending his neck down so he could look Polaris eye to eye. A pair of his neck scales cracked open a bit and emitted a series of tones almost like a clarinet. From this, Polaris got a distinct voice in his head of the Pokemon speaking. "I was not expecting a disbelieving outsider to be the one to awaken me."

His heart pounded hard in his chest and he wanted to run. But there was nowhere to safely run to, and he had no idea how to get to the nearest town. "I-I believe in you now."

Coming less than a foot from him, the crane Pokemon observed him intensely. Polaris wondered if this was how new Contest Pokemon felt when under the judges' examinations. Then the crane backed off and stated, "There is no need to fear us, and I am sorry that I frightened you. Welcome, pilgrim. I thank you for calling me from my sleep." He shook himself, disturbing the snowflakes. "It is so cold, and yet so good to feel any air, even that of winter.

Polaris bowed his head. "You're welcome. I want to thank you all for giving me back Sienna, even if only temporarily."

Zepharia responded in kind. "It is unusual for an outsider of the tribe to be meeting with us. But there must have a plan. And your skill in your chosen talent is more than enough to help you on your way."

Was it? But he'd been doing so badly as of late. Ignoring that line of thought for now, he asked, "What exactly am I doing? The local Pokemon like the Gemselle herd below seem to know, but Picasso here is from another region. And Garnet… well she's quiet, I think sad too."

Zepharia closed his eyes and turned his head aside. The pick end of his tail plucked a few strings of the other tail, sounding much like a harp. Then he looked back and whistled again. "The tablet you hold, the Transcriber, was created thousands of years ago by the leaders of my clan, the sky twins Lunarium and Desolaire. The humans who followed them, the Arkahn people, had accepted Pokemon as their masters and learned from them. So they gave the tablet to one they picked as their apprentice."

"Like the Jasper Pokemon pick apprentices among the Arkahn people?"

"Yes. You are the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium, therefore an Arkahn warrior in training."

"But I'm not even of Arkahn blood. I don't know their customs or much of anything about them. Why would they pick me?"

"You'd have to ask them that yourself," Zepharia answered. "But you are not capable of summoning them yet. You must awaken the others of my clan first. Enter the shrines of Heart, Courage, and Power, pass the maidens' tests, then summon those three. Only then will you be able to meet your masters face to face."

"I already entered the Shrine of Power, and failed there."

"But you made the Temple bells ring. I heard that in my slumber and knew that someone would awaken me soon. And we need to be awake. It has been too long that we have slept."

"Why have you been sleeping?"

"That I will leave to my clansmen to explain. Now, I will send Jessu the Kuni with you on your quest. Her duty is in service of me, but for the time being, she should be with you."

"Maio," Jessu said. She fluttered up to Zepharia and licked him on the beak.

"Thank you," Polaris said. "Is it all right for me to put her in a Pokeball?"

Zepharia looked blankly at him. "A what?"

As he was about to explain, a different voice entered the conversation. "It's a device humans invented to keep Pokemon in."

Polaris turned quickly and backed into one of the gazebo's posts. But he didn't see any other Pokemon or person around. "Who is that?"

Zepharia stepped back and looked up. "Rayquaza. Good to see you well."

"You as well. The world has changed drastically since you went into hibernation. I have much to explain to you. But allow your Maiden to go with my follower in a Pokeball. It is for the best."

He made a strum in agreement. "All right." He looked back at Polaris. "I trust the sky dragon, so take her that way. Now, do you know the symbol for Fly?"

He was taken aback at the idea. "No... I can fly?"

Zepharia gave a hooting laugh accompanied by a jangle of bells, causing Polaris to smile. "Not by much at first. It's not quite the same as the Pokemon can fly, but it will be quite useful when you master it. Here."

Tapping the tablet with his beak, Zepharia made a blue symbol appear. It was a symbol for twin wings, Polaris decided. He copied it quickly to put it into his mind. When he added the dot in the corner, he felt a gust of wind blow up around him. It felt like the wind were a rope holding him strongly to the ground while his body tried to float away. And when he looked down, he was floating a few inches off the ground.

Picasso whistled and jumped up in a cheer. But the 'rope' soon vanished, dropping him back to the ground. "Wow... that's amazing. How do I move while doing that?"

"With humans, they must find a way to manipulate the air that supports them," the crane answered. "Also, you can only use Fly when over the ground for now. When you learn Surf, you'll be able to Fly over water as well. And the more you practice it, the further you can move away from the ground."

"I'll work on it."

"Jessu can get you back to town, once she has directions. Pilgrim, your name is Polaris Starr, correct?"

"Yes."

"And the soul that guides you is Garnet." He tilted his head. "She seems strange, and yet…"

"I mean well," Garnet said, suddenly shy.

Zepharia touched the pendent with his beak. "The humans have become mistaken in how the tablet has worked. Your soul feels as though you are the appropriate one for the guide. I will trust you. Good travels to you, Pilgrim Polaris. May the wind bless your path." He then stretched out his wings and took off from the platform. Every downbeat of his wings was accompanied by a drum beat from the leathery skin. Then he flew west at an unspoken signal to meet up with Rayquaza.

Through the many questions that were in his mind now, Polaris had to wonder how the sky dragon knew that he belonged to his church. Perhaps certain gods paid more attention to humans than he thought.

* * *

A group of children played together, bouncing a ball across a drawn out playing field. "Hu-kyo is named that because of the sound of thunderstorms," an Arkahn boy said. "The wind rushes across the plains, huuuuu, and then the lightning strikes, kyo! Hu-kyo!"

"Hu-kyo ain't real," another boy said. "He's just a legend."

"Well Lugia's a legend too and you said he's real," the Arkahn child stated.

"That's cause people have photographed him and seen him in real life. Your legendaries aren't real."

"They are too!"

Before a fistfight could break out, there was a loud whistle overhead, like that of a clarinet. As the children looked up, Zepharia passed overhead. His great wings sounded like the beating of a large drum. He glanced down at the children and gave them a cheerful chord with a jangle of bells. Then he flew on.

The Arkahn boy smiled. "That was Zepharia!" he declared, jumping up. "So Hu-kyo is real too! I told you so!"

The other children were astonished.

* * *

With Jessu pulling him along with her wind, Polaris quickly passed over the distance the Gemselle herd had taken hours to cover. She then landed on his shoulder and set him down on top of a hill. They were out of the snowstorm, but there was nothing but white vastness around them. "There's still no sign of where to go," Polaris said.

"MAIOOOO!" the Kuni howled out with surprising volume.

"Hey, not in my ear," Polaris said, flinching. Then answering meows came from all around him.

The grasses around him shivered, then released a flock of Kunis. The humming of their wings gathered into a steady drone as he felt dozens of tiny movements of air from those wings. Unlike with Tesla, Jessu looked the same as her kin. Their fur was also dark blue, although he caught a glimpse of a black furred Kuni somewhere in the flock.

For a minute, there was a confusion of mews and meows as the flock tried to decide who would speak. Jessu arched her back and hissed, forcing one to come closer to them. There was then discussion of several different directions. Eventually, another darted in and bopped the speaker on the head. Then she indicated a southwestern direction. There were some parting words, then the flock went back into hiding.

"Um, thank you, Kunis," Polaris said.

There were some twittering laughs as Jessu whirled around him again to use Fly.

Even with directions to go, it took them to sunset to reach a human building. It was a massive lodge built of large logs. There were a group of Trainers and Pokemon heading into the building, looking tired. A pair of Park Rangers stood nearby. "Hey!" one called out as Jessu set him down. "You caught one of the Kuni."

He looked to the Kuni as she landed neatly on his shoulder. "Um, yes, I did."

"You'd better go in and register it," the other Ranger said. "If you don't within twenty-four hours of getting it, it's an illegal capture."

What? "Sure, thanks." He followed the others into the building; Jessu dug her claws into his shirt so she didn't fall off.

"Lucky dog," one of the other Trainers muttered.

Inside the lodge, he spotted a sign that stated the desk below it was for 'Celane National Park Capture Registration'. There were no visitors waiting there, but he hurried over there. "Hi, I've got a Kuni to register."

"Mew!" Jessu piped up proudly.

"Sure enough," the receptionist said. "May I see the Pokeball you used?"

"Yeah," he pulled out the red and white Pokeball that was now hers and handed it over.

She placed the ball in the reader. "My, you're quite lucky to catch one with a basic ball. Or one at all. Only two others have been caught this year."

"Really?"

"But it's good for them; the less captured means the greater the population can grow. How many did you see?"

He considered it. "Well I ran into one flock... is that right? There were probably over a hundred in that group."

She smiled a little dreamily. "That's got to be a wonderful experience. That would be the main flock. It gets spotted from time to time." The computer quacked, so she took the ball out of the reader and handed it back over. "Well, good luck on your travels. And treat your little Kuni well."

"Sure enough. Um, do you have any rooms available for the night?"

"Ask the main desk over there, but I'm sure there is."

"Okay, thanks."

That night, he researched his new Pokemon. They were extremely rare these days, thanks to over capture and difficulty in breeding. Provided the population was healthy, the National Park allowed Trainers to capture Kunis. Their numbers were building now, but they would still be on the endangered list for years to come.

He also found that Megan had sent him an email back. Wondering if she'd found anything more, he read it first.

'I checked with Jynana, the priestess of the local Arkahna church and she was very surprised to learn that you had the tablet. She called it the Transcriber, something that properly belongs in the hands of the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium, the Spirit Clan's leaders. The place you found behind the large boulder was the place where Santiperra is said to hibernate. So the shrine maiden Garchomp was testing you to see if you were not only appropriate to wake Santiperra up, but also to be the apprentice to two legendary Pokemon!

'And she had heard that someone last night had made the Deidre bells ring in a particular manner, so you must be qualified. But Jynana wants me to warn you to keep quiet about this, for the time being. I convinced her that you were a good man, so she doesn't mind you being an outsider. But other Arkahn will not like that an outsider has the Transcriber artifact. She just wants someone to awaken their gods and prove that their faith is true.

'Now you're doing something very important to these people. I wish I could help you more, but I've got my business to run. I'll help you however I can, though. Just drop me a line and I'll see what I can do!'

"Prove their faith is true," Polaris said quietly. He hadn't thought about it that way. All of a sudden, this mysterious thing seemed like a tremendous responsibility. Could he fulfill it?

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Kuni

**Kuni**

The Winged Cat Pokemon

Type: Normal/Flying

Ability: Tiny (natural high evasion)

Notes: Kuni are extremely rare and evasive, so be prepared to spend a lot of time tracking one down for capture. If you plan on battling with one, keep in mind that they are frail and not physically powerful. However, they do have an incredible rate of evasion and their skills are extraordinarily powerful. Kuni have a tendency to be vain and self-absorbed, but spending time with them will make it a loyal partner. (J. Short)

Key Search: Zepharia

**Zepharia**

Legendary Pokemon of the Singing Wind

Type: Normal/Flying (unconfirmed)

Ability: (unknown)

Notes: Zepharia is one of the six spirits of the Arkahna Spirit Clan. He favors those who are devoted to their talents and skills. Often associated with spring, it is said that he plays beautiful music with only the instruments he naturally has.


	11. The Way of the Warrior

December 19th, year 58

Deidre

A group of the Order of the Sun Knights met in Deidre Temple. The Knights were the most skilled of Arkahn warriors and their masters, protectors of the Prophet. At least, that was who they had been. The political atmosphere in Jasper had changed dramatically from the glory days of the Knights, and all Arkahn warriors.

A young female Knight and her two masters came into the Temple later than the others. The priest met her at the entryway. "How is your Scyther master doing?"

"She's a little deaf for now, but she'll recover," she answered. She joined the group of Knights.

"Good day, Miguel, Skyra, Camilla," Nevin said to the three. His master Kulula waved her hand in greeting too. "Are we ready to begin?"

When everyone nodded, an older woman spoke. Her Lunatone pupil watched on. "So, we have an outsider who has claimed the sacred tablet of Desolaire. He caused the bells to ring and was taken away by a god's power. He told our holy man here that he was an artist. From the museum worker, we have additional witness that he is an exceptional one. What else do we know of this outsider?"

"Zepharia was awakened yesterday," one of the men said. "The Air Master was spotted flying over Keisen with Rayquaza."

There were some gasps around the room. "So he was actually accepted?" someone asked.

"Hush," the leader said. She looked to Camilla. "What do you have to say about him?"

"He had a Smeargle with him," the youngest Knight replied. "He seemed quite nervous when he noticed us. I went up to check with Scepta. The lady reports that he not only entered the first chamber, but the Shrine of Power itself. However, Santiperra is still sleeping, so we can only know that he was unsuccessful there. Lady Scepta also said that he was nervous, despite having great skill. So it would be obvious that his next choice would be the Shrine of Heart."

"Good. We'll have to send some people up to intercept him."

Nevin raised his hand. "If I may say."

"Go ahead."

"I had a challenger recently who had only a Smeargle. An outsider with orange hair. His name is Polaris Starr and he had just one badge at that time, from St. Rosaline. So he could have been in the appropriate area when the Transcriber was to be delivered."

"Yes, but why would the delivery man pass the tablet on?" another asked. "Were there any unusual signs seen during that time?"

After some quiet, the leader said, "We have nothing in particular at this time. So the outsider's name is likely Polaris."

"Yes," Nevin replied.

"Fine. Now, what are we to do about this?"

* * *

Polaris was experimenting with the tablet. Picasso would draw symbols in the snow, things that meant something among the Smeargles. Then the human would then draw it on the tablet and see if he got a response. After drawing a wind-like symbol, he got a respectable Gust. "So that's the one for flying. I wonder how I get stronger attacks."

"You won't get stronger attacks until your inner strength is better!"

Jumping at the sudden yell from an old man, Polaris tried not to stumble flat on his face. He turned and saw partly what he expected, an old man. What he didn't expect was for it to be an Arkahn who was hovering four feet in the air. "Oh, s-sorry sir."

The old man landed. "No need." He poked Polaris with his cane. "But who instructed you before you set out to find a master? They should've told you the basics."

Looking at him, Polaris could see the cloudiness of his brown eyes and the lack of focus. How much could he see? And could he tell that Polaris wasn't Arkahn? "Um, nobody. I set off on my own."

He gave a hearty laugh and winked at him. "Good going! Your parents some of those lazy bums who've gone into the outsider's culture like sheep? I like your drive; it shows in your use of wind. You're very much in touch with your powers, good for a young'un."

Thinking over how he'd seen some Arkahn treat each other, he bowed. "Thank you, sir. My name is Polaris."

"Hmm... I'm called Jepheth. And I can hear your master, even if I can't see it. You're a lucky one to get a Kuni to accept you."

"Mew?" Jessu asked, darting over to Jepheth.

"Ye-yes, this is Jessu." An idea occurred to him. He didn't like to fool the old man, but he could help. "I'm having a hard time understanding her, though."

"That's part of the struggle they make you go through," he answered. "You aren't just learning how to use their powers. You're learning to be like the Pokemon. You have to know your master's kind in and out before you can even begin to think of becoming a master yourself."

"Oh, I see." Did that count in his case? He was supposed to be the apprentice of two legendary Pokemon. How did he learn to be like them?

"I had three masters over my life," Jepheth said, reminiscing. "Carden, Cardain, and Cardonel. He's gone now, bless his soul, but even at this age, I know their kind as if I were one of them."

"People say they're common, but I think they're still wonderful creatures," Polaris replied.

A smile crept across the old man's face, as if some thought occurred to him. "Wonderful. In the touch of your Gust, I felt skill and a growing power, and in your words, I hear a deep heart. Would you say that you're courageous as well?"

He shook his head. "Oh, um, not really. I get terribly nervous at so many things and I get scared a lot."

"But if you had to do something, would you still do it?"

Why was he asking this? "If I had to, yeah."

"Excellent. A lot of our young people today don't have the right stuff to be great warriors. They might dream of becoming a Knight, but they wouldn't have a chance. You on the other hand, you might have something."

"I don't know about that."

He laughed again. "Good thing. Better to know that you're a fool than to think that you're a wise man. Look here kid, come with me. I'll help you out. I'll give you the basics you missed."

So his idea had worked. He bowed again. "Thank you, Jepheth."

Apparently pleased to go along with the plot, Jessu purred. "Maow."

* * *

Jepheth lived outside of the town of Mayberry, in an adobe hut with a banner of a Cardonel. With his house on top of a hill, he had a good view of the grasslands all around on this shore of Jasper. "This is a difficult place to travel around," he told Polaris one morning. "Everything's the same every which way you look. And if you lose your focus, you'll completely miss your destination."

"I can imagine," he replied, thinking of how tedious it had been crossing the park with Jessu.

"But I'm blind now," the old man added. "I make my way around here and around town by listening to the familiar grounds. I know what the air is telling me; any apprentice to a flying master will learn that skill."

"That's good." He wondered what type his masters were. Desolaire was obviously Fire, but was she solo or dual-typed? And what about Lunarium?

"And with the grounds covered in grass and snow, this is a good place to practice your Fly field skill. If you fall, there'll be just enough of a cushion that you'll only get a little bruised and bloodied. That is likely the best way to boost your power and maybe courage."

Only a little bruised and bloodied? "Um, right."

"Now, since you've used Fly, you know what it's like: a great big rope of wind tying you down as gravity lets go. It's like becoming a kite, where the wind can buffet you and send you off course. But it's nice and calm today. Give it a go."

"Okay." He took the tablet and drew the Fly symbol. The wind rope returned as he lifted a few inches off the ground.

"Now you've got to tug on the rope with your mind, as if you were controlling your motions from the ground. Keep in mind how a kite flies, not instantly responding to the tugs."

Jepheth drilled him on Fly alone for weeks.

* * *

December 30th, year 58

It was New Year's Eve and Jepheth was invited to a gathering in Mayberry. He brought Polaris too, although it was quickly evident that this was mostly an Arkahn gathering. "He's a friend," he told the others, which was readily accepted. Polaris noticed they didn't talk about his being 'in training' under Jessu, but was glad for it.

The highlight of the evening came not from a game or a dance, but from a story. Jepheth had gotten into a discussion with one of the other men, being watched by a group of kids. "This kind of event calls for a traditional story," he said. "That's what's been done."

"But that's the problem with it," the other man said.

"What kind of problem is that? Would you all like to hear a story? Perhaps of how the Arkahn tribe began.

Some looked bored, but enough were interested that he went ahead and told it. Polaris listened from the start. And through the telling, others stopped by their group.

_Origins_

_The Arkahn people did not start as one. They started as many, many groups living along the lower Leni River south of the Amarillo Desert. There were five tribes overall, which were noted by the Pokemon god that they kept sacred._

_There was the Tribe of Fena, who worshiped the goddess Misaillo._

_There was the Tribe of Kael, who worshiped the god Hu-kyo._

_There was the Tribe of Gesgka, who worshiped the god Santiperra._

_There was the Tribe of Jesen, who worshiped the god Zepharia._

_And there was the Tribe of Dexe, who worshiped the god Rubledge._

_Now all five tribes had uneasy relations with the others. One year, Fena would be trading with Gesgka. The next year, the two would be at war. The five gods argued over what should be done and they each thought he or she was most important. No one could live at peace. Still, the god Pokemon warned against taking too drastic a measure against the other tribes. None wanted to be responsible for the destruction of another tribe._

_Then a member of the Dexe tribe discovered an herbal compound that increased the power and stamina of a Pokemon immensely. He worked on it until he perfected the mix, then made an offering of it to Rubledge. The god approved and it became a regular offering._

_But there was a hidden danger to this. Regular use would result in a weakening after the herbs wore off, then a weaker boost when taken again. After enough doses, the Pokemon had to take it regularly to keep its power stable, and take even more to get noticeable results. Eventually even its mind became unstable._

_The people of the Dexe tribe were uncertain what to do about this, although they still believed their god was infallible. But more ambitious members recognized it when Rubledge became strange and unpredictable. They took advantage of this and convinced the god to take more aggressive actions against the other tribes. Having developed a feeling of paranoia, Rubledge agreed to this._

_First, they took over the people of Kael. Hu-kyo was strong, but believed most in love and dissuaded his followers from fighting. In this instance, he agreed to a battle with Rubledge. But as the ruby one was strongly under the effects of the empowering herbs, he quickly thrashed the thunder dragon and defeated him. Then his madness became apparent when he order_ _ed_ _chains made from star iron, to imprison Hu-kyo in a massive earthen pyramid. The dragon was also made weak through another herbal compound and kept away from the light of the sun._

_Then they took over the people of Gesga, imprisoning Santiperra underwater. The madness of Rubledge and the Dexe people escalated quickly. They enslaved the Kaelans and Gesgkans. They defeated the Jesiens, enslaved them, and imprisoned Zepharia in the same earthen pyramid as Hu-kyo. Lastly, the Fenians were almost completely wiped out, while Misaillo was bound in a desert valley, under the harsh heat._

_With every other tribe overtaken, the Dexians had no one left to wage war with. They argued amongst themselves, whether to seek out a distant people to conquer or to build their empire here. Their slaves suffered for it, being forced to battle each other for the amusement of their captors, forced to build a larger pyramid of more elements to imprison all four defeated god Pokemon, and forced to destroy all signs of their heritage. It was a terrible time that lasted a hundred and fifty years._

_Then there was born a woman called Blair, who had the blood of all four lost tribes. Blair was a kind woman who cared for Pokemon. She took care of them when injured or sick. With some cleverness, she was assigned to the Pyramid of Imprisonment, where the four god Pokemon were kept weak and unable to escape. She became beloved of all of them._

_One day, she saw a Dexian snap the strings on Zepharia's harp, causing him great pain and anxiety. She scolded him for treating the god so cruelly, which incited the Dexian into beating her. In a rage at seeing Blair hurt, Zepharia managed to stab him in the back, a wound which eventually killed him. However, Zepharia had broken both his wings in doing so. Blair claimed that she had killed the man, which ended with her being sentenced to death by being sacrificed to Rubledge. The ruby one was now terribly cruel, his soul barely resembling what it had been before._

_The other three gods arranged for Blair to escape. They told her to go north, where the Leni River flowed, and never return. With tears flowing down her face, she refused to promise that, but did follow the sacred river north. The Amarillo desert crowded the river shortly after she left the Dexe lands. It was a hard travel, but the Pokemon along the way had heard of her kindness and helped her when she was in need._

_After many weeks of travel, Blair came to the Sea of Jasper. There was such a great amount of water there, unlike anything she had seen before. And the vegetation was lush near the river, supporting a wide variety of Pokemon. However, there were no people. She settled there and soon made many friends in the Pokemon who lived there._

_Then on the equinox of autumn, Blair saw two Pokemon of immense power. They were alike, yet different. They were happy and playful. Dancing over the waves of the sea, they were goddesses with no followers. This was how Blair met the sky twins Desolaire and Lunarium._

_On coming to the shore, the two goddesses came over with great curiosity, asking what she was, who she was, would she dance with them? This was a period when day and night were equal, where they were equal, and they always celebrated it. Soon delighted by these playful Pokemon, Blair danced with them and made fast friends._

_When night fell, she told them this story fully, of how the god Rubledge had fallen into evil and madness, imprisoning the four other gods and enslaving the peoples. She told them of how she was nearly sacrificed for defending Zepharia, who was defending her. Finally, she told them of her resolve to go back someday and find a way to destroy Rubledge, freeing the slaves and the imprisoned gods._

_The twins were deeply touched by this, especially Desolaire who wept that such cruelty could occur just because of a dangerous mix of herbs. Lunarium told Blair that they had lived separate from others, but with each other, since the beginning of time. They only knew the wild Pokemon that lived in the lands they called home. In such isolation, they knew little of war or of the other gods and goddesses. If they encountered one, they would hide and giggle, not bothering to come out because they were not interested._

_But Desolaire decided that they could not ignore the plight of the slaves and the imprisoned gods. They promised to help Blair, yet asked for nothing in return. They taught her some of the arts known to Pokemon, but not to humans, and they followed her back south into dangerous lands. But they asked for nothing._

_As the twins did not know much of war, the three first snuck into the Dexian lands and freed a number of slaves, then retreated back to a safe location in the desert. They learned of a man descended from the Gesga tribe who had made it far in the Dexian's army, but was in danger of being sacrificed because he was too good. A small group then went in and helped to free Tauren Gregska with a small group of his peers. Tauren was greatly impressed by the sky twin goddesses and Blair, so he readily agreed to help plan their effort._

_Even though their force was small, they decided that they needed to get the four gods released in order to stand a better chance against the insane Rubledge, to know more of what he was. Blair knew of some toxins from a Gastly which could paralyze a man for hours. They used this poison to overtake the Dexian guards. Desolaire was able to melt the chains of star iron, thus freeing the four gods. Even so, they were greatly weak. It took much effort and secrecy to get the four back to the town of Heida, where Blair and Tauren's forces had gathered. They were soon called the Arkahna, which meant that from the shattered remains of five, there would now be one._

_The humans and the gods discussed what was to come. The Dexians would strike fast once they discovered where the new tribe was gathering. In the end, it was decided that even inexperienced in battle, Desolaire and Lunarium stood the best chance to defeat Rubledge. The twins quickly decided to offer the challenge first, meeting the corrupted god in the stadium where the slaves were made to fight to death. Although the new Arkahna people were greatly concerned about the twins' safety, they assured everyone that they did not intend to lose._

_Rubledge heard of the challenge from two strange goddesses and laughed. He felt that he was more than strong enough to defeat these two outsiders and enslave them as well. But after so long of taking the compound regularly, he was not as strong as he believed himself to be. The two goddesses met him at dawn, when their powers were about equal. They struck once, as one, and knocked him out so hard that he did not recover for a full month._

_After that, the Dexian leaders tried to persuade the sky twins to take their god's place, to lead them to an even greater empire. Desolaire and Lunarium grew angry at that suggestions, telling them that if the people would have no faith in the god that led them to their despicable position, then they would not accept the faith of those people. But they did not demand the death of the Dexe tribe. Instead, they ordered the Dexians to free all their slaves and remain in their city, which had been paid for in blood. They would have to work for themselves now. They also asked that Rubledge be restrained in the Pyramid of Imprisonment with the star iron chains that had held the other four gods. The twins were too gentle to kill the god themselves, but he was still insane and needed to be kept away from humans._

_The Dexians agreed to the terms; they were unhappy with them, but on the defeat of their god, they feared they could not stop an onslaught from the remains of the other four tribes. Desolaire and Lunarium then led the freed peoples and gods back north to their home, the Sea of Jasper and the lands that surrounded it. Even with this, they still asked for nothing in exchange. They said they were glad that the wrong was righted and that the suffering was now over for Blair's people._

_Due to this attitude, though, the new Arkahna tribe decided as one that they should now hold Desolaire and Lunarium as the most sacred goddesses. Even the four others, Misaillo, Hu-kyo, Santiperra, and Zepharia, even they agreed to this, realizing that the twins were wiser and clearer souls than they. The two goddesses eventually consented to this, provided that the Arkahna people strive to never make another suffer and to treat even the regular Pokemon as equals. In exchange for this, they gave us the secrets of Pokemon that few others have been allowed to know._

* * *

January 7th, year 59

Polaris guided the windy rope of Fly until he landed on top of the roof. It gave him a stomach spinning rush when he looked down, so he mentally attached the other end of his wind 'tether' to the pole of the clothesline. That way, if he slipped, he'd have a chance to keep himself from hitting the ground.

Jepheth had left him on his own today. Well, not technically. He had technically left him alone with his 'master', but since Jessu wasn't really his master, she took the opportunity to nap in a sunny spot. Polaris took the opportunity to consider his real masters.

According to Arkahn legends that he found in one of the old man's books, Desolaire was the soul of the sun, a kindly spirit that crossed the sky every day. Obviously, this was before modern astrology. But the Arkahn people didn't let that stop them from believing in their 'mother clan'. They changed it so that she was a Pokemon spirit that had been born in the sun's flames, then brought down to Earth. They said that her powers were greatest during the day.

Lunarium was the soul of the moon, a mysterious spirit that changed every day with the changes of the moon. She was a twin to Desolaire, although she seemed to be the quiet one. There were fewer solo stories about her. However, every one of those stories connected to her with artists, writers, and poets.

Sitting here in the sun, he felt a feeling of peace. Even a bit of simple joy at the touch of the sunbeams on his skin. And he was accomplishing something, wasn't he? He could manipulate Fly to good effect, and his power at other types was building. He could now use a better Ice attack, and he could mentally pick whether to do Fire Spin or Fire Punch. Although he was no longer drawing as much as he did while under Trudy's employ, he no longer felt washed up.

"Thanks be to Desolaire and Lunarium," he said quietly.

He thought he heard a cheery laugh in reply.

* * *

January 19th, year 59

When he woke up, Polaris found two emails on his computer. One was from Megan, her usual cheer and encouragement that made him happy. The other was from Pokemon League Headquarters. Wondering if there was some announcement, he opened it.

'Mr. Polaris Starr: it has come to our attention that you are an excellent Trainer in our League. One of our associates had put in for you to receive this formal invitation to the Pokemon League Championship Battles to be held in November. Put your best efforts into training your team and earning those last few badges; we hope to see you at Horizon Island!'

"What?" he asked aloud, startling Picasso and Jessu. "That can't be right."

"Ko?" the Smeargle asked, as the two of them came over to him.

"We got an invitation to participate in the Championship Battles."

"Wooo!" Picasso declared, jumping up and punching his fist in the air.

"No. Not wooo. We can't make it. We'd have to get six badges in eleven months. Nobody can do that."

"Maow," Jessu replied. "Murrr, mew mew maiou."

"She says that if you gathered the other three Shrine Maidens, it'd be a piece of cake," Garnet said.

"How do you know that?" Polaris asked. "Weren't you a stone statue for... goodness knows how long?"

Jessu suddenly became intent on cleaning her tail.

"The maidens would be exceptionally strong," Garnet mused. "Plus Picasso can cover a lot of type weaknesses with what he knows."

"Three Shrines and six Gyms? Isn't that a bit much?" He shook his head. "Especially with how poorly I did against Tesla."

"Then we'll just have to train as much as the team," Garnet said.

Picasso clasped his hand and gave him pitiful puppy eyes.

"We could try, I guess," he admitted. "No big loss if we don't make it; the invitation's just a suggestion. Where are the other two Shrines anyhow?"

"The Shrine of Heart is in the Black Mountains, north of Graystone. The Shrine of Courage is near the straights of the Sea of Jasper, at an island."

"There's a Gym at Graystone," he thought aloud. "It's Steel-type. Jessu, you're Normal and Flying, so you might not do well there. And while Flamethrower and Earthquake should take care of the Steel Gym, I'm not sure you can pull it off alone, Picasso."

"Pah," he replied, punching the air.

"But there's also a Grass Gym at Keisen near here. You two should be able to handle that. We can start out there." He paused, then added, "I hope Jepheth will be okay with my leaving."

So he told the old man about the email over breakfast. "You should reach for that goal, Polaris," he replied. "A good challenge can push you beyond what you think you can do."

"Maybe," he said. "Thanks for everything, Jepheth. You've helped me out so much."

"Think nothing of it. I've enjoyed your company like a fine grandson."

He smiled. "Well that's good, grandpa."

He laughed. "Very good. Now, I've got something I think I ought to tell you, as you're leaving."

"Oh? What is it?"

Smiling slyly, he put his finger to his cheek. "I know that little Jessu isn't your master."

"Mew?" the Kuni asked.

"You know?"

"I knew from the start. I also know you aren't one of the Arkahns; your language has traces of the sea community of Hoenn, not the ancient people of Jasper. I may be blind, but the air tells me everything I need to know. And when I felt that little Gust of yours, a pure brush of wind kissed lightly by the sun, I knew who you were immediately. I know your master, or one of them, is Desolaire."

He could tell from that little? "Then why've you helped me? I'm sorry about lying to you, but, well..."

"It's fine," Jepheth said before he could finish the thought. "It's probably best you keep things quiet until you meet your masters face to face. Many of my kin won't accept you until then. As for why I've helped you, I never thought that I would meet a true pilgrim of the clan. I was plagued by doubt and worry, wondering if our gods were really dead as people suggested. But the air around you assures me that they are alive. Your words and actions, beyond those cautious lies, remind me of the old tales of the true pilgrims, the ones chosen by the souls of the sun and the moon. So I believe that you will be able to do that which none of my people have been able to do for five centuries: awaken the spirit clan and restore their wisdom to the world."

On hearing his words, Polaris felt the weight of the Arkahn people's hopes and expectations. This would restore validity to their beliefs and ignite a greater interest in preserving their culture. He clutched the leaf pendent. "I never thought that I'd be that important to anybody. Especially not strangers. I decided to go along with this because I owe them some, even if I didn't realize it."

"Well then do it for that, or for yourself. Our people will come around in time. When Desolaire comes to your calling, no one will be able to deny you the power you've been given."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Rubledge

**Rubledge**

Legendary Pokemon

Type: (unknown)

Ability: (unknown)

Notes: Rubledge is often referred to as a lost or evil Pokemon god of the ancient Dexe tribe. Stories of its corruption overshadow any other information about it, so very little is known about Rubledge.


	12. Leroy, the Humble Rancher

January 25th, year 59

Keisen lay on the edge of Celane Grasslands National Park. Like Mayberry, it was a hilly town surrounded by tall grasses, few trees, and a full coating of snow. Half of the town had quaint old homes, several with Arkahn banners. The other half had modern homes and buildings, large and expensive. A power plant with windmills and solar panels was located east of the town, where Polaris had come in from Mayberry.

He went to the Pokecenter to heal his two Pokemon. "Where's the Gym for this town?

"Go south past the town limits, to a ranch house with the Gym sign. The Gym itself is outdoors, closed during inclement weather. Dawson should have someone out to meet you by the ranch house."

"All right, thank you."

Polaris, Picasso, and Jessu followed the nurse's directions along a dirt road. It was a clear sunny day, like most of the days in this part of Jasper. Feeling cheerful in the sunny weather, Polaris considered the Gym ahead of them. The sun worked for and against the Grass Pokemon, as they would be energetic, but their foes in the Fire-type would also be energized. It also made things bright with all the snow on the ground. But then, the snow would also work against the Grass Pokemon (and fliers like Jessu). All in all, it was probably an even match for him.

At the end of the wooden fence, they found a wooden gate. The top panel announced it was, 'Keisen Ranch Grass Gym' while a lower sign said, 'Leader-Leroy Dawson, a humble rancher'. Past that was, exactly as the nurse said, an old wooden ranch house painted white. A red brick chimney emitted smoke and, at first glance, there didn't seem to be much in the way of technology. Icicles hung along the roof from the last rainfall.

A young Gym Trainer in a heavy orange coat sat outside the ranch house with what little technology there was, a notebook computer with required scanning equipment and a solar-powered portable generator. Next to him, a Pokeball healing machine had been painted and treated to look like an antique. A worn walkie-talkie was clipped to his belt. "Hey stranger," the kid said. "Welcome to the Keisen Gym."

"Good afternoon," he replied with a smile. "I'd like to challenge this Gym."

He nodded and turned to the computer. "All right, let me check your stuff out."

They went through the usual process of scanning the Badge Box and the two Pokeballs. For a moment, Polaris wondered if Jessu showed up any differently because she was a shrine maiden. But he'd yet to get a comment about that.

The boy nodded. "Everything comes up clear. Hang on; we don't got any networking here aside from the old standby." He picked up the walkie-talkie. "Hey Leroy, we've got a challenger."

The speakers crackled as a coarse male voice asked, "What's the stats?"

"Two badges, two Pokemon."

"Fine. You take first, but then give us a few to finish up the class."

"Roger." He clipped the radio back to his belt. "Okay, rules of this Gym state that you have to beat two Trainers before you can challenge Leroy himself. You're free to use this machine between matches, though. Aside from me, you've got to find everybody first. That's not too bad, cause the grasses aren't that high," but he smirked, "although since we're wide open, wild Pokemon roam around the grounds all the time. Not all of them are Grass types either."

So there might be more than just three battles. "All right."

"And now, I accept your challenge, stranger." He shifted his coat aside, revealing two Pokeballs. He released a Carvinine first. The strange Pokemon was all vines with a fly-trap flower for a head and an oddly cape-like leaf on its back.

Polaris waved at his Kuni. "Jessu, go up." While training himself under Jepheth, he decided to try training his Pokemon in a code language. The extra edge seemed to help.

"Use Wrap," the Trainer ordered. The Carvinine immediately lashed out with two vines, but Jessu darted up out of range while preparing Fly. A short time later, she dived down at her opponent. The air in front of her was pushed and concentrated so that it blasted into the Carvinine like a storm gale. It didn't even get the chance to set up a revenge Stun Spore attack, as it got knocked out.

"Woohoo!" Picasso shouted from the side, jumping up and throwing his fist around.

Polaris smiled at that. He'd been worried that, with his history of wanting to be the center of attention, Picasso wouldn't work well in a team. But if he was going to cheer on his teammate, maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time around.

"Those little critters certainly pack a punch," the Trainer said. "All right, try to do that with Snover." He released a green and white Pokemon that resembled a small pine tree with a broad trunk. As soon as it came out, the air seemed to take an extra frigid bite. Water crystallized and began dropping small pieces of hail. "Get that little thing with Magical Leaf."

Using Fly again would risk Jessu getting hit by the hail, which couldn't be good for the small flier. "Slash now."

She complied by darting right for the Snover and using Air Slash. Polaris had tried watching her do it to see how it worked, but like Picasso's symbols, he couldn't blink or he'd miss it. From the looks of things, she rapidly manipulated the air into forming a tiny but sharp edge, then lashed out with this air edge. It dissipated in a fraction of a second, so it had to be quick. And once the Snover was unconscious, she darted back to Polaris to take cover from the falling hail.

He let her huddle against his neck. "Good fight, Jessu."

The Gym Trainer held his hand up to avoid getting hit in the face by a hailstone. "All right then, you beat me. Go on out and find another match."

Polaris bowed his head. "Okay. You have some nice Pokemon, by the way."

Smiling, the Trainer thanked him, then informed the others over his walkie-talkie. Polaris made sure Jessu was secure on his shoulder, then went into the fields. Picasso scampered alongside him.

Watching the grasses sticking out of the snow, Polaris was able to guess where wild Pokemon might be hiding in this outdoors Gym. He was careful to avoid them. "They say only three fights are required here," he told Picasso. "But by letting wild ones roam around, they increase the chance that any Challenger's team will be worn down by the time they get to Leroy."

Picasso clicked in response, looking annoyed by the tactic. Or the hail, which they were starting to get out of range of. The air returned to a warm medium.

"It's just the way things are."

By the time he spotted another Gym Trainer, there were actually four roaming about. It made sense, as they had all been at a lesson. The one who got to him first, though, was a teenaged girl who seemed to embrace the ranch atmosphere of the Gym. She wore a dusty leather jacket with a fringe, brown cowboy boots, and an old straw hat with a colorful ribbon tied around it. "Hey, we've got a cute Challenger today."

He put his hand to his face to offset his reflexive blushing. "Um, that doesn't really mean anything."

She laughed. "I guess not. You ready for round two?"

Noting that she had only one Pokeball with her, he nodded. It was just one, but that one might be powerful. "Yes we are. Picasso, you're up."

"Alrighty, you get to face Fleurdifir!" She released what was the final evolution of the Jasper regional Grass starter. It was an elegant Pokemon, with a brown spherical nut for a head and body, two large fan-like leaves for feet, three long leafy vines that ended in fiery tips for a tail, and a large brilliant orange flower growing out of its nut body. The dense petals shifted in a way that was like the fires on its tail. "Bring on the sun!"

This was going to be a short fight, Polaris realized. "Ground," he told Picasso. "Go on."

The Smeargle quickly drew his Ground symbol, then leapt up as Earthquake was triggered. The Fleurdifir grimaced at the hit, causing its large flower to tremble. But then the sunlight abruptly sharpened. As Polaris had feared, the ranch girl followed up with, "Now Solarbeam."

Solarbeam was an immensely strong attack. But in anything short of this blinding sun, it required charging up to use. It could be used immediately under Sunny Day conditions. However, he had already instructed Picasso to continue using Earthquake. Which he did, and managed to knock the Fleurdifir out before it could use Solarbeam.

"Wahoo!" Picasso crowed, followed by a mewing cheer from Jessu. Polaris smiled and patted him when he came over.

"Aw, and you're sweet to your Pokemon too." The ranch girl giggled, then asked, "So you wanna take on anybody else, or just go to Leroy?"

"I'll just go to Leroy, thanks."

"All right then. He's off that way. Good luck." After pointing out his direction, she gave a report over her walkie-talkie.

Polaris intentionally walked over at a casual pace. He hoped that the intense sunlight would die down before he faced Leroy. Since the Gym Trainer used it, there was a good chance that the Leader's Pokemon would have Solarbeam as well. Better not let him start with the advantage of the boosted move.

As the light grew less intense, he found Leroy. If he hadn't have seen this Leader fight on TV, he wouldn't have been able to pick the man out. He wore dusty blue jeans with a red patch over one knee, a dull red coat with a fading screen print of a tractor, and a tatty straw hat probably lined with something warm. His dim blond hair was nothing special and he had a pair of reading glasses tucked into his coat pocket. Maybe his being older than the rest was a clue, but otherwise he didn't seem to be someone of importance.

"Howdy, Challenger," Leroy said, offering a handshake. "You beat two great students of mine, so you're looking to be a good one."

He accepted the handshake. "I hope so. My Pokemon are good, I know that."

"That's the best way to start. We could while away this gorgeous day in chit-chat, but that ain't what you're here for. Are you ready to go?"

"We are." He tapped Jessu to let her know that he wanted to use her first.

"Good, then let's get going." He took one of his four Pokeballs and released a dark green Pokemon that was a mess of thick vines. Oddly enough, two bright eyes peered out of its hidden face; two bright red shoes were under it, which contrasted with the white snow. "Tangela, set yourself in."

"Use the two stage wind," Polaris ordered Jessu.

"Mew!" The Kuni flew around in wild small circles, setting up Tailwind. The increase in speed would help her dodge, good for a vital fight like this. Then she charged up the wind, setting up Razor Wind. It took a moment to use both skills, but it seemed to be working as a good start.

In the meantime, the Tangela set five of its vines into the ground. It started to rub two of the remaining vines together, but Leroy interrupted it with, "Nah, go straight for the attack."

It blinked and seemed to nod, then lashed out with the two vines. Surprisingly, they extended all the way to Jessu without undoing the tangle of its body. She managed to dart out of the way of the first, but the second caught her by surprise. She was knocked out as her Razor Wind attack activated, sending hundreds of small air blades at the Tangela.

In the time that he had been battling with her, Polaris had seen only one other attack hit her. That one had knocked her out as well. 'Keep it under control,' he told himself as his muscles tensed. "Picasso, you're up. Ice."

The Smeargle readied his Ice Beam attack while Leroy called out, "Flip things around."

Polaris wasn't sure what he meant by that order. But after the beam of ice struck, the Tangela was still around. It lashed its vines to Picasso's front paws, then jerked him into the air, twisted him about, then bashed him into the ground. Unfortunately, the Smeargle's head hit an icy rock with an audible thump, knocking him out immediately.

While his heart dropped into his stomach in worry, Leroy and his Tangela both shuddered. "Oh, we're sorry about that," he said with complete sincerity. "That was a total fluke. Look, I'll get one of my folks to take you back into town to make sure that didn't hurt him severely."

"Okay, thanks." One of the Gym Trainers then walked back with him to Keisen's Pokecenter.

* * *

In the evening, Polaris found a small restaurant called 'Field's Place'. He remembered Megan once saying that its owner was a worthy competitor, so he stopped there for dinner. He let his two Pokemon out for company. "We're lucky that move didn't give you permanent damage," he told Picasso, petting the Smeargle's head.

"Oof," he replied, patting his hand in exchange.

"So, we weren't able to manage that Gym," he said, thinking. "Like I said, being a Challenger team is tough. I wasn't expecting us to get so thoroughly beaten at the Grass Gym, though."

"Feh," Picasso agreed. Jessu pretended that she wasn't paying attention, but she seemed bothered by it too.

"You guys did good," he said, hoping to cheer them, and himself, up. "We beat the Gym Trainers without much trouble. The Leader's going to take more preparation, I guess."

"Hey!" Polaris turned at the call and saw Diego and Eve with their Jakafrare and Drizzy following along. "Fancy running into you here."

He smiled at them, waving. "Hi there. Where's Stan?"

"He had to drop out as a Challenger because he didn't keep up with his grades," Eve said. "And he wasn't doing too hot in battle either."

"That's one of the lessons you learn early on," Diego said. "You ain't going to start out invincible. Mind if we join you?"

"No, go ahead. I see the waitress coming over now." After she took orders from them, Polaris asked, "What happened to his Pokemon?"

"I got his Fleurmber," Eve said. "He didn't really like her, even though she was his starter, but then he got third pick and had to take her."

"And I took his Golem and Glasink; you know, that blue mink you missed catching. He evolved a week back. The others we released in the areas they were caught in. Basic courtesy, you know." Diego then smiled. "And I see you managed to get yourself a Kuni."

"Oh yes, this is Jessu. I got her over in the Grasslands not that long ago."

"You are so lucky," Eve said, trying to reach over and pet Jessu. "They are one of the cutest Pokemon ever." Jessu didn't seem too keen on being touched by a stranger, and leaned back while flicking her wings out.

"How are you doing with Nevin?" Polaris asked Diego.

He punched his fist into his hand. "I finally got him beat, but it was the closest shave I've ever had. Now that I have six badges, my Salamence is finally obeying me predictably, so I'm heading over to the Dragon Gym at Jade Palace to get them beat. And then I've got the Normal Gym left." He sighed.

"Normal Pokemon usually aren't tough opponents," Eve pointed out.

Diego shrugged. "It depends. The Normal Gym Leader uses some nasty strategies, you see. His Pokemon are well-rounded and cover each other well. Not to mention that he has a strict challenge that almost crosses the line. Some people have spent a year devoted to training solely for defeating Jasper's Normal Gym."

"Even bringing out a Fighting Pokemon isn't enough to pass that Gym," Polaris added. "I think the only match I've seen where the Challenger made the whole Gym a cakewalk at a late stage was a woman who had a very strong Lucario."

"Yeah, I think I saw that match too," Diego said thoughtfully. "But her Lucario got stampeded in the Horizon Isle challenges because he was too focused on defeating one type. So how's your challenge going?"

"I haven't done much since then, just training. I challenged the Grass Gym earlier today. We lost."

"It happens." He laughed in a way that seemed to be at himself. "Trust me, that happens a lot."

"We were doing all right up until we faced Leroy. They couldn't even get past his first Pokemon."

"Oh yeah? What'd he drag out?"

"A Tangela."

Diego winced, so Polaris assumed that is loss wasn't an abysmal one. "Ouch, yeah, he seems to really do well with his Tangelas and Tangrowths. Do you got any other Pokemon besides these two?"

"No."

"Hmm," he rested his chin on his hand. "Well that's part of your problem. I'm not saying these two are bad, no, but they fulfill the same kind of role in a battle team: a quick Special attacker. And they're both in species that are generally frail to begin with. They should be able to dodge pretty well, but one strong hit and they're out of the match."

"That is pretty much what happened," Polaris admitted. Picasso nodded in agreement and mirrored Diego's pose.

"You should look to add two more to your team," Diego advised. "More would always be better, but two more would get you in competitive shape. You need to look for a tank and a strong Physical attacker."

"A tank?" He knew what the teen was talking about, but was interested in what he was thinking.

He nodded. "Right, a Pokemon with excellent defenses. Self-healing would be even better, for something that's difficult to take out in one blow. Some Grass types can do this for you, like if you trained up a Turtwig or a Tangela. But then you can also look to most Steel, Rock, or Ground Pokemon for good tanks, and there's options in other typings as well. And something that has the Physical prowess to match the Special of these two, so that if you run into one of those tank Pokemon, it can help bring them down. Something like most Fighting or Fire. Or heck, if you don't mind taking the time to do so, get a Dragon, which can usually cover the positions of tank and Physical attacker both."

"Mao!" Jessu declared, holding herself up proudly.

Polaris knew what she meant even without Garnet's interpretation. The Kuni had said to get the other shrine maidens as well. As it happened, the one he knew about was a Garchomp, which certainly did fit the tank and Physical attacker fields. She also belonged to the Shrine of Strength, which he still wasn't ready for. But what would the other two maidens be like?

"Thanks; I'll have to look into that."

"Are you sure you want to be telling one of your competitors how to get better?" Eve teased.

Diego smirked. "Not at all. I mean, you just have two badges, right? By the time he gets to be at my level, I might already be the League Champion."

"If I even get that far," Polaris said. "The Contest Hall in St Rosaline should be opening back up, so I might want to go after my previous job."

Jessu shot him a dirty look.

* * *

Jasper Regional Guide

Key Search: Keisen

Keisen is a small town on the eastern area of the Jasper region, around ten miles west of the Celane Grasslands National Park. Known as a quiet community, Keisen is popular with farmers, ranchers, and rangers. There are few attractions, mainly a community rose garden and the Grass Gym, although many Trainers also stop off here before heading into the National Park.

Key Search: Celane Grasslands National Park

CGNP is a large wilderness area spreading across the eastern lands of the Jasper region. It is mainly rolling prairie grassland although small wooded areas can be found in the northern portions near the mountains. Although capturing Pokemon is subject to Park rules and registration, many Trainers come seeking rare Pokemon such as Kuni, Gemselle, and Lickitung. Others are seen occasionally in certain areas, like Chansey, Kangaskan, Rhydon, Unicrypt, Chatot, and Eevee. Recently, stray Porygons have been found within the Park's lands as well.


	13. A Test of Caring

February 12th, year 59

Since taking on a Steel Gym wouldn't be a good idea with the two Pokemon he had, Polaris only stayed in Graystone one night before heading into the Black Mountains for the Shrine of Love. Someone had the kindness to clear the route going that way, but there were still a couple inches of snow there. On either side, there were tall mounds of the stuff. Polaris wore a heavy long coat, his red scarf, snow pants, a warm hat, and tall boots to travel.

Picasso hopped alongside him, seemingly not bothered by the cold or wet. Every now and then, he hopped ahead to make a sign of green on the snowbanks. Although Jessu insisted on being out too, she wasn't taking the cold so well. Polaris let her hide in a deep pocket of his coat when she wanted a warm rest. But when she was out…

"Will you two stop arguing?" Polaris asked, putting one hand on Picasso's shoulder, the other in front of Jessu. "It's not helping us."

"Ffff," Jessu answered, then ducked into the pocket.

"Hmpff," Picasso countered with a flick of his tail.

"I told you we would need to build up a team to take on the League seriously," Polaris said. "And we're going to have to act like a team." Next time Garnet felt like talking, he thought, he would ask them what the problem was. It was probably simple jealousy, but whatever it was, it needed to be addressed.

It was quiet on the route, though. It felt odd; even in the winter months, he had thus far always encountered fellow travelers on the paths between cities. Sometimes, the travelers would ask for a battle. Other times, they just offered friendly greetings or asked about conditions ahead. Today, he had encountered a cross-country skier an hour ago, and no one before or since.

The wild Pokemon were about. Polaris saw a Sentret poking its head above the snowbanks, watching him. In the trees, a few hidden bird Pokemon called out to each other. So it was just human traffic that was low. He wondered why.

At the foot of the mountains, he found a country lodge. Smoke came from the chimney. A sign hanging by the door said, 'Hikers Club residential lodge. Visitors welcome; assistance offered for trips into the mountains. We have cozy cabins for rent!'

"That's helpful," Polaris commented to Picasso. He then had to put a hand on the Smeargle's shoulder as he grabbed his tail. "No marking on buildings, please."

He rolled his eyes, but followed inside. A little bell rang as they came in. It was a large room with a quiet fire in a stone fireplace. As he was kicking snow off his boots, a tall man called out to him. "Welcome, traveler. It's always nice to have an unexpected visitor."

"Thanks, and good afternoon." He looked over to the man and noticed that he was not bulky, like most people assumed Hikers to be. He was muscular, but lean, with long red hair tied back in a ponytail. "Oh, you're one of the Elite 4, Mr. Redbird."

He nodded. "Yes, this is where I live and train most of the year. Just call me Shan, it's fine."

"Okay. I'm Polaris Starr." He went over and shook hands with him. "And this is my Smeargle Picasso. I have another Pokemon, but she's cold."

"Mew," Jessu said, then flew out of his pocket to rest on the fireplace mantel.

"Polaris Starr, is it? I've heard your name before," he paused, rubbing his chin. "Yes. You showed up on the watch list of the League and Yuna was surprised. She said you were a quiet artist in St. Rosaline."

"Well, things happen," he said vaguely. "I was surprised to get the message myself. I'd only beaten two Gyms at that point."

"Maybe someone saw something in you. Would you care to spend the night here? It'll be easier than camping. Board here is free, but there's other services I can sell to you from the Hiker's Club."

"That'd be helpful, thanks."

Shan went to adjust the soup he was making for dinner, then warmed up some rolls to fill it out. Although he was an Elite, thus one of the top Trainers in Jasper, he was open and easy to talk to. "So what brings you up here in the winter?" he asked. "Not many would come out here."

"Well I thought about waiting for spring, but I decided to come out anyhow," he admitted. "I've camped before, although not in the mountains in wintertime. Actually, I came to find an Arkahna site, the Shrine of Love."

Nodding slowly, he looked thoughtful. "That's quite a ways up the mountain trails. There are ancient paths to that shrine that are still used by the Arkahn people; I see them time to time around here. Still, the conditions are very tough for a novice."

"It is a well traveled path, though, right?"

"Yes. Still… I can't leave this lodge unattended, but I can send you with a pair of guide Pokemon. They know the paths and they know the dangers. So long as you follow their lead, you'll get to the Shrine and back here safely."

He remembered seeing an ad about that back in Graystone. "Isn't that a pay service from the Hiker's Club? I don't belong to it."

"The cost isn't too bad and goes directly into the care of the Pokemon. It's 50 per Pokemon per day, and a trip up to the Shrine will take three to five days, depending on weather and path conditions. And personal pace, of course."

"That would be a help. What kinds of wild Pokemon are out this time of year?"

"The Ice types come out of the caves and lower in altitude, so they're considered easier to catch this time of year. There's general mountain Pokemon around, Geodude, Graveller, Onix, Rhyhorn at lower levels, although the Zubats are less active outside. Many of the year long residents are in hibernation, including the fish; we recommend that Trainers don't try to capture them."

"That would be rude of someone," Polaris commented.

"Yes. There's a handful of rare Pokemon that are seen from time to time. Deep in the caves, you might find Abra, Sableyes, and Crisiti, probably others I'm not thinking of right now. Some people claim it's easier to catch the elusive Unicrpyt by baiting for it in wintertime. And near the hot springs areas, you might find a Milotic."

"Wild Milotic are around here?"

"Yes, but they're only ever seen in winter conditions. I would guess that they spend the warm seasons deep in the mountain lakes and water system. But just before those waters freeze, the Milotic come out and gather around thermal spots. They're still very secretive and never show up at the public hot spring baths."

* * *

February 13th, year 59

Shan brought Polaris out to a nearby stable, where the Pokemon were kept. He signaled a certain pair of canine Pokemon to come over, a black and bony Houndoom and a white and shaggy Tracpawh. "This is Lady," he said touched the Houndoom, "and this Lucky," he touched the Tracpawh. "They are registered as working Pokemon, so the League will not recognize any battle using either of them. Also, I've trained them to be obedient to the client in defending against wild Pokemon. However, they will not participate if you are trying to capture the Pokemon. You will have to use your own for that."

"Okay, that makes sense." Lucky was snuffling his hand, so he petted the shaggy Pokemon. He got a cold nose nuzzling for that.

Shan then handed him a pair of odd Pokeballs. They were both painted to have a rocky appearance. "Here are their Pokeballs, but you should leave them out at all times. As I told you earlier, follow their lead and you should be fine."

After placing the balls in his armband holder, he patted the Houndoom as well. "Sure. It's good to meet you Lady, and Lucky."

Lady wagged her tail while Lucky woofed.

Shan snapped his fingers, getting the canines' attention. "He's going up to the Arkahna Shrine of Love, so take him along that path."

* * *

February 14th

The wind was blowing, sending snow sweeping across the rocky path. Visibility was decent, but there wasn't much to see beyond evergreen trees and mountain rocks. In his pocket, Polaris could feel Jessu curled up to avoid the chill. Picasso kept beside him, not as playful as he had been earlier on this trip. The Tracpawh Lucky walked ahead of him, snuffling out the path and apparently enjoying the weather. The Houndoom Lady walked just behind him, occasionally coming forward when Lucky found a spot of slick ice that needed clearing before it was safe for others to cross.

As for himself, Polaris tolerated the winter weather as best he could. The wind sometimes nipped past his protective clothing, keeping him alert. He watched the Pokemon traveling with him and noted how they each took the trip. In his opinion, the two canines were intriguing, following their duty in protecting and guiding him in the mountains. He kept imagining how he would arrange a painting of these two to show this. Maybe he would do that.

Early in the afternoon, he spotted a red glow around his pendant. "Be careful," Garnet whispered, then went silent again.

He slowed, causing the Pokemon to notice. Something was nagging at his mind. Something… he wasn't psychic. But then, when he had been a child, he had noticed things others did not. Was some of that coming back, now that he had been chosen as an apprentice of two goddess Pokemon? Those things made him uneasy, though.

"Eh?" Picasso asked, twitching his one whole ear.

"Someone's watching us," Polaris said quietly. "Maybe even following us. Let me see." He put down his shoulder bag in order to pull out the tablet.

Picasso and the two canines sniffed around. Eventually, the Houndoom perked her ears up, then lowered them. Lady growled softly. There was something or someone around that she did not trust.

"You two know our path well, right?" he asked.

Lucky made a sort of grinning face and woofed.

"Okay, I'm putting my trust in you as my guides." He drew the Flying symbol on the tablet, tuned to Whirlwind. Would it work as he thought? Just to make sure, he bowed his head. "Zephaira, master of the singing wind, if the one who follows us wishes us ill, please help obscure our path from that one. I travel to the shrine of your kin Hu-kyo, the…" he paused, but the words came to him, "the passion of the storm, to awaken him." He then finished the symbol.

The wind picked up, humming through the trees. But it did so in a peculiar manner. Without touching him and the Pokemon with him, the wind began to circle around the group, putting a white haze of snow to obscure them from any who were watching. A crack of thunder came from overhead.

It had really worked. Polaris made a deep bow to the winds and the storm. "Thank you." He looked to the three Pokemon out with him. "Come on, we'd best keep a strong pace."

Lucky woofed again, then turned back to lead. Lady wagged her tail.

Behind them, an Arkahn man and his Girafarig master were caught in the sudden blast of blowing snow. Even with their Psychic senses, the outsider and his Pokemon were blending with the snowy wind perfectly. "What devil caused this?" the man muttered.

Another crack of thunder came from above.

* * *

February 15-16th, year 59

The trip through the snowy mountains wasn't too bad, but Polaris felt like the company of the two guide Pokemon made it a lot easier. For the first two nights, someone or another had been tired. On the third night, they had reached a cabin just after nightfall. Polaris tapped his leaf pendant. "Garnet?"

"What is it?" she asked. The Houndoom and Tracpawh both perked up their ears and looked towards him.

"I need your help with translation. Picasso and Jessu have been arguing a lot." He turned to them. "And I want to know why so you two can stop it."

Both Pokemon responded with expressions of disdain.

"All right," Garnet said, coming out into the open. She clasped four of her hands together. "You two really aren't helping our progress by arguing so much."

"Murr," Jessu said, then went on about something.

Picasso grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She says that she's used to being respected by other Pokemon as a servant to Zepharia, but Picasso is rude. I think he's denying that."

"He isn't from this area," Polaris said. "So he knows as much as I do about your religion. Where are you from anyhow?"

The Smeargle tossed his head and answered, taking a bit long to say it.

"He was born at the house of a Johto breeder in Goldenrod. And he says that she's both uptight and vain, taking things too serious." After a hiss, Garnet added, "And she takes offense to that."

"Again, you're not from this area," Polaris said to Picasso. "You've been with a lot of battling Trainers, so they didn't take religion as seriously, I would think. But religion is the center of her life; I read that in one of Jepheth's books. You're coming from two different lifestyles, so of course there's major differences. You shouldn't let that annoy you as much. We are a team, need I remind you?"

Picasso then put forth another argument.

This caused the strange little Pokemon to lean back into her crescent blade, looking thoughtful. "Hmm… he says that you're a human so it's easier for you. That is true. You two should still make an effort."

Polaris didn't know exactly what she meant. But then Pokemon did always come to humans in order to be stronger and better. Dismissing that for now, he added, "And if the other gets to annoy you too much, you could always just retreat to your Pokeball to cool off for a bit. Or warm up, in this weather."

"Mew?" Jessu asked.

"You can come and go as you please?" Garnet said, looking up at him. After Picasso said something, she added, "You're alone in the Pokeball, he says. Sometimes it's nice, but sometimes you want the company. Like my situation, I suppose."

The Tracpawh then barked.

Garnet chuckled. "Just you so know, Lucky says that since they have a Trainer willing to talk out problems between the team, they ought to consider themselves lucky."

The next morning, things went smoother. Jessu spent a while figuring out how to use her Pokeball, then seemed to enjoy the fact that she could fly out with him, then retreat when she got chilly. Picasso seemed to be more tolerant and quiet.

At least until he got distracted. "Wooo…" he jumped and pointed ahead.

There, on the shore of a mountain pond, there was a Milotic. As Polaris expected, it was much slimmer and more graceful than Ida's spoiled Milotic. The modest scales of this Pokemon were dark iridescent green with yellow highlights in his fin. His strands of hair were a lovely rose pink despite being untamed and wavy. While he wasn't as polished as the other, this wild Pokemon held himself with dignity and nobility.

Polaris felt his heart skip a beat. "Wow," he whispered. "Now that is more like the legends of the Milotic." Then he slipped off his shoulder bag and tried to get his sketching supplies out without startling the wild Pokemon.

The male Milotic spend some time looking over his pond. There was something about him that gave an air of sadness, although Polaris couldn't tell if it was a real feeling. His blue eyes had a distracted look, as people did when musing over tragic events. And his mouth turned down slightly; Ida's Milotic often looked like that too, when she wasn't being haughty or insistent. With those small signs, it seemed to be in mourning. But was it just how they normally looked?

After he'd sketched several pages worth, sparkling orange lights appeared from the lake, six of them. One approached Picasso, one Jessu, one the Milotic, one Lucky, one Lady, and one Polaris. The one by the human moved in towards his leaf pendent. After sparkling red, it moved away over the lake. Picasso went to tap his, then vanished in a whirl of orange sparkles. Jessu landed on hers and vanished as well, as did the Milotic and the guide Pokemon. Then the six lights took off across the lake.

"Hey!" Polaris went up to the lake, then checked his two Pokeballs. Both had the same message in the status window: 'Error: out-of-range'. "Garnet, you there?"

There wasn't a response. Those orange lights had stolen the Pokemon.

Without thinking, Polaris ran along the unfrozen lake after the lights. They weren't moving all that fast, so he was able to get around the lake by the time they crossed it. There was a building here that he hadn't noticed, a series of wooden structures going up the mountain. With bright red painted roofs and bright white painted walls, they were obviously taken care of. Past that, the six lights moved up a covered staircase.

Polaris followed them into the shrine. Surely, that's what this place was. He crossed the first room. The wooden floor creaked beneath his feet. In front of the covered stairway was a doorway with wooden bars blocking access.

And then a voice that he felt in his mind spoke. 'They're a hassle to take care of. The Kuni especially. People are going to scrutinize you because you have a rare Pokemon. She's too proud for her size. She was too frail and weak to win a Gym she should be effective in. It won't be worth the bother. Just sell her for a lot of money and be done with it.'

"No,' he thought, then felt it wouldn't be effective. "No," he said aloud. "I was asked to take care of her and so I will. If she's not good at battling, then I'll just find something else she can do."

The bars slid open. Was this the test of the shrine? Or was something else going on here? At any rate, he kept going. He had to get the Pokemon back.

After the equivalent of three stories, there was another room. The orange lights were keeping steadily ahead of him. And another thought passed into his mind. 'They're so much trouble. Like the Smeargle. People watch you suspiciously because they expect him to make trouble. And he does, tearing up your drawings and making people angry. He expects so much attention when you're starting to put a team together. You know what happened last time he felt unnoticed. It will be worse next time.'

"I know he's a critic and we don't always agree on how to do things," Polaris said. "But I admire his passion about art. I would like to have him accept me as a friend and artistic peer."

The door came unblocked. He ran up what seemed to be two floors and came to another room. Although it was blocked too, he didn't wait for the voice.

"And don't you dare try to talk me out of Garnet! We have an agreement to help each other, and I want to know about her. Sienna led her to me, so I want to help."

The bars slid aside and he continued. A fourth room was also blocked. 'The other three aren't even yours. You should just leave the Milotic be. You've seen how demanding they are and you've already got its picture. And the Houndoom and Tracpawh don't need you to save them. They've had the training to work on their own, and with those who know nothing.'

"I won't leave them behind either," Polaris stated. "The Milotic was just living his own peaceful life; you had no right to interrupt that. And I have an obligation to care for my guides. I couldn't have reached this place without them." The fourth door slid open and, oddly enough, he felt approval for making the accusation.

On his way up to the next level, a different voice came to him. 'You need them. You need them to become powerful. Bring the Shrine Maidens to me and I will give you the ultimate power. They won't.'

Feeling a chill in his spine, Polaris stumbled. But he picked himself up and continued on. That voice did not belong.

At the seventh room, the six lights were waiting by a statue. Polaris felt his breath stolen away as the statue's stone coating crumbled away. It was another Water Pokemon, one he'd seen in an aquarium in Hoenn when he was a child. A mid-stage known as Rosamone, it mimicked a sea anemone bearing a closed rosebud. Flowing white tentacles surrounded a large oval bud. Its single eye hung from the coral pink bud, blinking. The Hoenn aquarium had owned many Lylthmone, a few Rosamone, but none of the final stage, which he thought was called Scyllamone.

The Rosamone descended from the pedestal and crawled up to him on three stubby feet. She looked him in the eyes, then looked over to the wall. "Whe bi ba."

He looked to his right. While there were no murals in the room, there was a strange triangular mirror. An eye had been painted on its surface. "Should I look in that?"

She blinked, making her bud bob. That seemed to be an affirmative answer.

"Are they going to be okay?" he asked first, pointing to the spheres.

She nodded again.

"All right." He went up to the mirror and looked. At first, he just saw his own face looking back at him, his dark brown eyes and his bright orange hair. If it wasn't for that color, he'd be fairly unremarkable on the surface. But then he felt as if the world was rippling around him.

...?

It was a rather ordinary living room, with a dark red couch, a couple of matching chairs, a glass coffee table, oak flooring, and a TV. On a wall, there hung a framed picture of a Chimecho done in colored pencils. On the couch, there sat a red haired man and an orange haired woman. With them were a cameraman and a reporter.

"Has there ever been a ghost that you haven't found?" the reporter asked.

For a second, the man's eyes glanced over at the Chimecho drawing. "There was one that I was unable to find, no matter how hard I searched. I'm not sure if it was a good or a bad thing. It was… personal."

…?, year 49

It was raining. The waves were moderate, but Polaris had been on many ships on his life. Instead of the rocking motion, his stomach felt squeamish over the man near him. The fourteen-year-old was a lightweight, nothing compared to the larger man who could have qualified for the wrestling circuit. He wasn't even sure why he was so nervous of the man. Something just told him that he wasn't good news.

"You sick of your home league, so you're traveling abroad to find a new adventure, eh?" he said with a smile.

"N-n-not really," he stammered, pulling his shoulders in defensively and trying to appear disinterested instead of disturbed. He turned a bit to keep an eye on him better; Polaris' right eye was still swollen from an incident a couple of days ago.

"You don't have to lie. That's what all kids your age travel abroad for. New adventures, new friends, new challenges, new lives… exploring your curiosity, right?"

Trying to think of a polite way to tell the man to go away, Polaris looked out at the dark ocean. It didn't help any. But then a flash of light appeared from his bag. Sienna appeared on the bench between Polaris and the man harassing him. Only a foot tall, she was far from intimidating. Still, she pulled her arms in and hissed at him.

He grinned, but did step back. "Whoa, feisty little fellow you got there."

"She's a girl," Polaris pointed out.

"It's right hard to tell with some. I don't mean no trouble, little girl."

The Sudowoodo kept hissing.

In a second, the situation changed. The door to the toilet opened, letting out a man in some kind of blue military uniform. He sat down on the bench, muttering something about the lack of rain shelter on this boat. Changing his mind, the other man walked off to the other side of the boat.

Satisfied, Sienna turned to him and gave him a smile. It didn't last long, as a shift of the boat caused several large raindrops to hit her. "Faaah," she said with a grimace.

"Come here," Polaris said quietly, patting his lap. He pulled his arms out of the sleeves of his rain jacket, then shifted it over to give her some shelter. She sat there for the rest of the trip, quiet but watching out for any trouble.

There had been many times now that he had regretted his decision to leave home for good. Everyone he knew was back in Hoenn and none of them knew where he was going. But he wasn't alone. Somehow, he and Sienna would figure out what to do.

... April 11th, year 58

It was one of those dreary rainy days that seemed to happen far too often in St. Rosaline. Polaris sat in the passenger side of an old pickup truck. While his fingernails ran along a peeling section of paint, his mind and heart were even drearier than the weather. Something he hadn't dared think on had happened.

The truck stopped. "I'll let you stay with me a few days," the driver said. "But we might as well stop by my daughter's place for dinner. She's a great cook."

"Thanks Jack," Polaris said, more out of automatic politeness than actual feeling. His emotions were too tied up with the loss. "For driving me out to the funeral and all this."

He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I don't think you ought to be alone right now, not with your dear Sienna gone."

They entered the building. He was really too distracted to notice anything, not where he was, or the square wooden table he waited at, or the vase of small flowers on that table. However, he did notice when Megan came in and hugged him. "Oh, I just heard from Dad what happened; I'm sorry, this must be terrible for you."

Looking between the two of them, he noticed that they were similar. "Huh? Jack, I didn't know she was your daughter."

He chuckled as he set down the soup taken from the diner's kitchen. "Well, she's a strong headed and independent young woman, just like her mom. Went straight into her own business, heart and soul."

"Hesssa," Greeble said softly. The Ariados got up and put his forelegs on Polaris' lap, looking up at his face. In sympathy?

Polaris petted his head in thanks.

…present

He clasped his leaf pendant. The couple from the first scene was undoubtedly his parents. Maybe he should have tried to contact them. Maybe he might understand things better, or maybe they would. And maybe they would simply appreciate that he wasn't dead. The second one was clear and unmistakable. The third scene, though, now that he had seen it again… he hadn't realized how much Jack and Megan had supported him through his mourning. And even Greeble had been kind.

"What was in there?" Garnet asked.

Smiling, he looked down. "You're back. I think I heard my parents talking about me."

Her voice turned worried. "Oh… was it something bad? You seem troubled."

He was nearly knocked over when Picasso tackled him with a hug. The Smeargle was trembling. Patting his back, Polaris worked on calming him down. "You didn't have any warning of it, did you? It's fine. I doubt they would have hurt you."

Jessu flitted closer. "Mew? Meow murrrr."

"Feh," Picasso said quietly. He pulled away, but took Polaris' hand.

The Milotic made a cooing note from where he was. If anything, he seemed annoyed at being pulled away from his pond. But not annoyed enough to be hostile about it. The two guides were checking in with each other, ruffled and uncertain, but keeping quiet for now

The Rosamone came over to them and made a warbling sound. She touched Picasso gently with a tentacle, although he moved away from her. Not quite trusting yet. Then she turned to Polaris and spoke to him.

"She says there's some uncertainty in your heart," Garnet translated. "But it is strong enough to begin with and you seek improvement."

"I'll try, at any rate."

"Now we need to go up to the last chamber and summon Hu-kyo."

The last chamber wasn't on the mountain like the others. The summoning chamber was built to hang over a steep slope. Up there, there was a scroll with a stylized drawing of Hu-kyo.

His hair began to stray away with static as he brought out the tablet.

* * *

Two people met on the road, three Pokemon between them. Camilla and her two Bug Masters and a man with a Girafarig. The humans were both Arkahn, both warriors. He raised his hand, causing her to brace herself. "What do you want?" she asked sharply.

"You're following the wrong people, Knight. You should listen to our prophet."

"He may be a false prophet," she countered.

That angered him and his master. "You have no respect, girl! And you must be blind to..."

A series of lightning bolts struck the nearby mountain, followed by a mighty roar. When they looked up to the peak, there was a bright yellow glow. The man looked shocked.

"If your prophet is real," she asked, "then who summoned Hu-kyo?"

"But we had all the roads watched," he murmured. The only one he could think of was the orange-haired man who had evaded him somehow. The Transcriber? It couldn't be.

But then who summoned Hu-kyo?

* * *

Hu-kyo's body was black, long, and serpentine. The irises of his eyes were large and black; he might have blended in flawlessly into any stormy night. But all along the sides of his body were electric yellow fins, glowing bright and strong. A large fanned tail spread out, with five sparking wires trailing behind. More sparking wires served as his whiskers.

The Electric Dragon coiled up in the air before the hanging platform. He was easily forty yards long, perhaps more. With his mouth curled at the ends, he seemed intimidating and yet amused at the results of his entrance.

At Picasso's snickering, Polaris got up from where he'd tripped back upon the lightning that accompanied the summoning. "I-I," he stumbled, then took a deep breath. "Hello, Hu-kyo."

"I apologize, pilgrim Polaris," Hu-kyo said. Little crackles of electricity came from his whiskers as he spoke. "I have slept for a long time. I was a little enthusiastic at being called upon again."

Once he got past the overdramatic entrance, Polaris felt more comfortable around the dragon. "That's fine. But why were you asleep?"

"It has to do with the tablet in your hands, and tribal politics." He grumbled for a bit, but it didn't seem to be grouchy. More like he was thinking. "It is bad of us to drag a pure-hearted outsider like you into the on-going strife of the Arkahn people."

He felt his ears get warm. "Um, I don't think I'm like that."

"I looked into your heart when you looked into the mirror. Somewhere within your past, there is a worrisome problem. But, perhaps you have overcome it. We shall see when Misaillo meets you. At the present, you do this out of love and loyalty to a passed away soul, and she did the same for you. Your friendship proves the purity of both your hearts. That is why I responded to your call."

"I do my best," he replied.

"Good. And for that, I should inform you of what I can about these troubles. Now, how did you receive the Transcriber?"

"Um, from a stranger of the Arkahn people. He thought it was demonic, but Sienna said it was some other spirit speaking through it. He threw it at me and the first thing I summoned was Sienna's ghost, after that other spirit had asked me to draw someone."

"Your blood must fuse to the tablet."

He looked over his right palm. "Oh right, I had cut myself on a broken bottle before I caught the tablet. The wound healed right up. Sienna couldn't stay though. She called Garnet to help me, though."

Hu-kyo nodded. "Desolaire or Lunarium is supposed to be given the tablet back after the death of their apprentice, to pass it to the next one. The apprentice is to make an offering of their own blood and form a pact with a willing spirit guide. However, at some point a mistake was made. People began to believe that a sacrifice of a soul was required. That invited evil spirits and the sky twins lost control of the Transcriber."

"Evil spirits… like the one who spoke to me. He didn't approve of me calling Sienna."

"Because her soul couldn't be touched by evil; the one with you... she seems to have some experience and will resist evil. But the false ones who used the tablet divided the Arkahn tribe. They made their own line of succession when there was none. They were no longer learning from our leaders nor passing on their words. Some figured this out and tried to defeat the false apprentice. However, the strife made our clan leaders despair. Desolaire sealed us into sleep, hoping that our absence would affect the people and end the fighting. But it didn't."

"How long ago was this?"

"Around a thousand years ago, although others like you have tried calling upon us. I have slept around three hundred years, I believe. In that time, your people had come into the Jasper area and the divided Arkahn tribe has diminished. We made the decision to return several years ago."

"What should I do about the Arkahns? And how do I know the groups, or which one to trust?"

"You should let some of them know. As for knowing which group to trust, if they try to take the Transcriber from you, they aren't the ones."

"What if they do take it?"

Hu-kyo chuckled. "They won't be able to. Now, we may speak again, but I must meet up with Zepharia. We have much to do. But as tradition is, I send Varia with you."

Varia the Rosamone warbled.

* * *

February 19th, year 59

Although Polaris was tired by the time he checked into the Graystone Pokecenter, he found it hard to sleep. He kept thinking about his parents. What did they really think about his running away almost ten years ago? What were they doing now? And how would they react to his story?

But then… was that vision even real?

At twelve, Polaris was caught in taking his art lessons instead of working on battles. "Why didn't you say anything to us?" his mother asked, holding his arm. Sometimes he remembered her saying it in puzzlement. Sometimes he remembered it being said in anger. "How long have you been doing this?"

His art teacher was Jason Ibsen, an artist who was often on the streets of Lilycove drawing the residents and visitors alike. "I've seen his drawings since he was five," Jason said. "I gave him some tips every now and then, but we didn't start regular lessons until he was eight. He's got the eyes and mind of an artist; I noticed even back when he was five. You should be proud of his talent." Jason definitely was proud of his student.

"You kept telling me it was more important to do well in the Trainer courses I take after school," Polaris replied uncertainly.

"Do you want to continue your art lessons?" his father asked. Was it sternly, or was it just a question? And why was it that his memory was so unreliable?

"Yes," he answered, either afraid he wouldn't be allowed to continue or glad to have the option of continuing.

"If you keep doing well in your Trainer courses," his mother said. "You're almost done with that."

His father handed him a necklace with a blue stone on it. "Take this with you, or else you may find trouble."

Polaris was bewildered until he realized that he'd fallen asleep at some point. His memories were being mashed together into an incoherent mess. Following the past, he took the necklace. "Okay Dad. I'll be careful."

In an abrupt shift of scene, he was at a class trip to Mount Pyre. Although his classmates were out battling the local Pokemon, Polaris and Sienna went up to a quiet spot to draw. They spotted a Chimecho apparently enjoying a light breeze. They were rarities, so Polaris drew a dozen sketches to prove that he saw it. While his peers would have caught it as proof, he would rather leave it alone.

He didn't notice someone approaching him until too late, when a bully snapped the necklace right off him. "What's this about?" the boy asked. "Why are you wearing a girly necklace?"

"It isn't girly," Polaris protested. "It's a protection charm."

"It is too, you ***. I bet you'd rather be a girl. But you ain't, so I've got no reason not to beat you up."

Sometime later, with his eye swollen shut from being punched in the face, Polaris fell through a hole in the floor of Mount Pyre's cemetery. If one knew the place well and was brave, it was faster to get from the top floor to the bottom through the holes rather than the stairs. He didn't know the cemetery well. He gasped and trembled. Throughout the interior of the sacred mountain, the ghost Pokemon ruled. Most of them wouldn't bother humans, but there were some that could be deadly.

"Polaris."

His father's harsh voice startled him as he stepped out of the mists. When Polaris looked up at him, his red eyes had a coldness. "D-d…" he stammered, then felt his throat choke up.

He offered a hand up, so the boy took it. His father jerked him upright. "I told you not to lose that necklace. It was very valuable."

Flinching, Polaris tried to point out his black eye. "B-b-but this kid t-took it and…"

"Your grades are falling because of those frivolous art lessons you're taking from the resident creep. He's obviously teaching you to be irresponsible and thoughtless with money as well. You'll have to stop immediately."

That cut to his heart. Jerking his hand away, he shouted, "NO! I'd rather give up those dumb Trainer courses than my art lessons!"

As soon as he did, he regretted saying that. Doubly so when his father's eyes narrowed at him. "We won't let you. And you will be punished severely for losing that necklace and a fight that you should have won, if you hadn't been working on that insignificant art this whole time."

"It's not…" he started to argue, but then his father turned monstrous and the dream turned nightmarish.

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Tracpawh

Snup - Snopawh - (Dawn Stone) **Tracpawh**

The Snow Canine Pokemon

Type: Ice/Normal

Ability: Clear Body, Snow Warning

Description: It is a big canine with big fur; that fur is an icy glossy white, potentially giving it the Clear Body ability. Tracpawh has something like shoulder guards, solid ice in the center, but branching out like a snowflake at the outer edges. Several parts of its body also feature icicle growths, like its thick eyebrows, square ear flaps, tail, and paws.

Notes: Tracpawhs are good loyal work Pokemon who seem happiest when assisting people. It has a good animal intelligence, with excellent pathfinding and survival skills. They do require a lot of grooming in warm weather or climates to keep their thick fur in shape. It is a good deal more graceful than Snup. (S. Redbird)

Key search: Rosamone

Lylthmone - **Rosamone** \- Scyllamone

The Sweet Anemone Pokemon

Type: Water/Grass

Ability: Cute Charm, Serene Grace

Description: A sea anemone shaped like a mound, with spots of coral pink among the light orange. The white fronds are larger and taller than a Lylthmone's, but less numerous. They surround what appears to be a fat rose bud of coral pink with light orange stripes. The eye stalk hangs off the bottom of the bud. It is two feet across and twenty inches tall. An all female race

Notes: Lylthmones may be easy to care for, but Rosamones start to become demanding. Their social behavior changes depending on the gender of the one they are interacting with; this is dramatic when it comes to Trainers. They are generally less happy under a female Trainer, but behave themselves more often. But while they are happier under a male Trainer, they start to become flirtatious and possessive. Male Trainers of this line must be aware that such flirtations are false and are the result of ancient hunting instincts. Taking the flirtations seriously could end up in harm when the Pokemon fights back. (L. Dawson, M Sheridan)

Key search: Hu-kyo

**Hu-kyo**

Legendary Pokemon of the Thunderstorm

Type: Dragon/Electric (unconfirmed)

Ability: (unknown)

Notes: Known variously as the Master of Storms and the Passion of Storms, Hu-kyo is an old Pokemon god of the Arkahna religion. He is said to favor honest and pure-hearted people, while disliking those who would hide from their emotions or manipulate the emotions of others. People often prayed to him for luck in love.


	14. A Test of Love

February 21st, year 59

Even with a new Pokemon, Polaris didn't want to challenge the Graystone Steel Gym yet. He'd checked the Rosamone's moveset and from that (Ingrain, Giga Drain, Attract, and so on), he could tell her battle role would be a self-healing tank. While that was a big help, he felt that he'd need a sturdier attacker for that type theme.

Between Garnet and Varia, he learned that the Shrine he had yet to visit, the one for courage, was actually located near St. Rosaline. For the past two days, he had been making his way back west to his hometown. He got stopped twice an hour, it seemed, by other traveling Trainers who were looking for battles. It was getting easier as Polaris got used to being in battles and learned more about his Pokemon.

The Rosamone was helpful even beyond battles. Since she wasn't nearly as vain as Jessu, she got along easier with the other two and helped to temper arguments even before they started. Varia was also very attentive to Polaris and seemed happy to help him in anything. But it struck him as a little creepy, ever since he learned in a Pokedex article why she was that way. It seemed that in ancient times, her kind would prey on males of other species, including humans, by luring them into the seawaters and drowning them. If she hadn't been civilized, her sweetness would be an attempt to murder and devour him. It wasn't that now, but the source of that instinct still made Polaris wary of what Varia did.

At noon on the twenty-first of February, he entered a small town by the name of Luthia. It appeared to be an Arkahna community, as the buildings were made of brown bricks and had family banners by the front doors. But it had to be one of the more open-minded communities, as it was along a well-traveled set of routes and the Pokecenter and Pokemart were prominent on the main road. It seemed like a good break spot, as he had set out early this morning. After healing up his Pokemon and buying some supplies, he got lunch at an open air café.

Polaris was about to leave Luthia when he saw a local church. Like others of the Arkahna religion, it had six walls and a mosaic relief on each outer side. This one was built of cherry timbers with a rich dark brown stain. The double doors and stained glass windows were all open, showing that there were a number of people inside. Most interesting, it seemed to include outsiders as well as the Arkahn people. Curious, Polaris stepped into the doorway to see if he could come in.

"Hey stranger, welcome," one teenaged boy said, grinning. "We're here to celebrate Hu-kyo's reawakening, so join us if you like."

Deciding to play ignorant for a bit, Polaris asked, "Oh, that legendary Pokemon? Why was he asleep?" At his side, Picasso held up his one good ear, interested for some reason.

"It's a long story," an Arkahn woman said. "But a short version… the six god Pokemon that lead our faith have been asleep for centuries. It started around a thousand years ago, when our people were fighting each other. This distressed the gods so much that they shut themselves away from the world in sleep until we stopped fighting. Of course, we've tried doing that and going back to our roots, but they still kept sleeping.

"Over the years, various people have tried waking them up. Some were successful in waking up one or two. One person even managed to awaken five of them. But no one has managed to wake up all six before they get pulled back into hibernation. And it's always Desolaire that they cannot awaken."

"Desolaire? She is the soul of the sun, right?" She was the one the stories all depicted as cheerful, friendly, and loving

The woman nodded. "Right. It's hard to understand, though. She was fascinated by humans and was always kind to our ancestors. But she was the one who suggested the hibernation away from the world."

"And so if no one can wake her up," the boy added, "no one can keep the other five awake for long."

"But no one has even tried to wake them up in three hundred years," the woman said. "Apparently, someone is having some success in doing so, as both Hu-kyo and Zepharia are confirmed to be awake. So we've gathered to pray for more successes, especially with Desolaire."

"And also for love fortunes," the boy said with a grin. "Hu-kyo resides at the Shrine of Love, so if you pray to him, you might have more luck in love."

Polaris smiled, but less so than him. "I see, that's why you have quite the crowd here. I may stay for a little bit. It's good that your gods are coming back to you."

Someone decided to lead the rest in praise. Song books were handed to anyone who wasn't familiar with their music, although Polaris still struggled to follow along. Even in his own church, he usually sang quietly so he didn't interfere with the better singers in the congregation. But after the song ended and a discussion started, he noticed that Picasso wasn't by his side as usual.

Worried that he might be getting into trouble, he got up and slipped to the edge of the crowd to search for him. The Smeargle turned out to be talking to one of the priestesses and a Clefairy. Noticing him, the Clefairy giggled and pointed. Picasso turned, then nodded.

"What are you up to now?" Polaris asked in affectionate tones. Probably not trouble, but might as well tease him for wandering off. "I knew you couldn't sit still even for a visit to a church."

"Good afternoon," the priestess said. "Your Pokemon seems to be quite fond of you. I've been giving free love fortunes today in honor of Hu-kyo's awakening and he came over to ask that you get one too before you left town."

"What?" Polaris blushed and tried to disguise it some by brushing his hair back from his face. "Picasso, you didn't have to do that."

Snickering, the Smeargle gave him a wink. He wanted to do it and so he had.

The priestess smiled. "Pokemon know us humans quite well, better than we think at times."

"Yeah, I've noticed that. Well I guess it couldn't hurt. Thank you."

"It's no trouble. Come with me." She brought him into a side room.

From the looks of it, this was normally an office. A desk with a computer was in a corner, while a couple of filing cabinets stood nearby. They sat at a round table where a number of small tiles were arranged. Sweeping the loose ones into a bowl, she pointed out a pile of small papers and a pencil. "I need you to write your full name and the full name of your beloved on one side. Then turn it over and pass it over to me." She started to stir up the tiles in the bowl, looking to the Clefairy (who had hopped onto the table). "And you're going to pay attention this time, right?"

"Hoochu," the Clefairy said, bashful.

He took the items and wrote 'Polaris Starr' on the top. "You're teaching her?' he asked, then added, 'Megan Briscote' at the bottom.

"I've been accepted by her kind as a master of their abilities," the priestess said. "So I was asked to teach this child. She just evolved from a Cleffa yesterday."

"Kutah," she added, smiling and waving a pink paw.

"That is a good thing," he said, turning the paper over and passing it to the priestess.

Unexpectedly, she gave him a curious look. "Do you understand Pokemon speech?"

"No, I don't," he said, shaking his head. "I do seem to make accurate guesses more often than not. One can usually tell by the context, the Pokemon's tone, and its actions."

"That's true. Let's see what the spirits have to say about your match." She placed her left hand on the paper and then began to sing. It was mostly nonsense 'words', but the priestess was an amazing singer. That was proof that she was a master of the Clefairy's abilities, Polaris thought.

For a while, she simply held her right hand up while singing. Then she touched the bowl and circled it with her fingers, then again, and a third time. She then pulled out a group of tiles and placed them on the table. After arranging the five of them, she ended the song and observed what she had drawn.

Then she wrote something on the back of the paper and passed it back. But before she took her hand off it, she said, "If you want this fortune to go well, you should avoid reading it until an hour has passed."

"Um, all right." He took the paper and put it into his coat pocket.

After rejoining the prayer service for a little while, Polaris excused himself to head back out on the routes. Accounting for time spent battling, he had to leave at least by one in order to make the next city before nightfall. But it wasn't until almost three that he remembered to read the love fortune.

It said, 'You admire her from afar, but will lose her to another if you stay far. Take the first step and tell her your true feelings. Then be patient while she figures out her true feelings.'

* * *

February 24th, year 59

St. Rosaline

Walking down the cobbled streets of St. Rosaline, Polaris did his best to stop being nervous. The love fortune's advice was an obvious one, but that didn't make following it any easier. And Megan certainly wouldn't be the first woman he asked out. The past failures made it tougher as he didn't want to feel that rejection again, especially not with how good things were going now.

His Pokemon seemed to notice. Varia couldn't walk with them, as her land walking speed was awful, but Jessu and Picasso managed to put aside their arguments for a while to keep him company. While the Kuni flitted about and hummed merrily, the Smeargle kept close to his side. When they got within sight of Megan's Diner, he hopped up and made a punch in the air.

Polaris laughed. "Well if that's your idea of support, thanks. She should be working as usual."

Inside, it was the same old place, with few customers as it was early afternoon. Megan had a few people working with her, but she glanced back to see who it was. On seeing him, she grinned and turned around. "Oh, hi Polaris! It's great to see you again."

He went over to the counter and shook her hand. "Hi Megan, it's great to see you too."

"Oh, is this the guy you're always talking about?" the woman at the cash register asked. "He's really cute."

"Laura!" Megan said, giggling some to cover for her embarrassment.

"Um, thanks?" he said, a bit embarrassed himself. Shrugging that off (to some extent), he released Varia, then picked the Rosamone up to put her on a stool so he could introduce her and Jessu to Megan.

He ordered lunch for himself and his three Pokemon, so he and Megan chatted as usual, with the other three workers chiming in or teasing them every so often. Maybe this would turn out well, Polaris thought, feeling more confident in his plan. After paying his bill, he brought out a white box. "Since we haven't seen each other in a while, I brought a gift for you."

"Really? That's sweet of you." She took the box and pulled out a little glass statue of a Lotad. Its lilypad dish served as a vase for a single pale yellow lily. Megan brightened at this. "Aw, it's so cute! And it matches the diner's decorating too."

"Yeah, I thought it would look good in here," Polaris said, feeling glad to have made her happy. This was the right thing to do.

"Thank you. I think we can put it right here so everyone can see it." She placed it right by the cash register.

Laura grinned. "Sure, I'll tell people that your boyfriend gave it to you."

That made Megan laugh. "Don't mind her, Polaris," she said, waving her employee off. "She can be ruthless with her teasing."

"Your workers still seem like good people," he replied.

"Of course," she said.

"She's picky about who works here, but otherwise she's a great boss," Laura said.

"That's good." Then Polaris leaned on the counter. "Well if you've got good people working here, then I suppose it would be all right for me to steal you off for the rest of the day on a date."

She froze a moment at that unexpected offer. But the guy working at the grill with Megan cheered for them, causing an outbreak of laughter that broke any tension. She grinned. "Why Polaris, that's unexpected of you. You usually don't steal anything."

"Go on, Megan," Laura said. "We've got things covered here and we can call Jake in early if things get hectic."

"Well all right then." She winked at him. "Give me a moment to clean up and change and I'll meet you by the front door. Greeble, listen to Mike, all right?"

"Ssesssri hwah!" the Ariados replied cheerily, giving her a double foot wave.

"Ge dah!" Picasso said happily, giving him a paw slap in congratulations.

"Thanks," he said, rubbing the Smeargle's beret hair. "But I'd better return you three if she's leaving Greeble behind."

A few minutes later, Megan came out wearing a light blue shirt with a lotus print, a green jacket, and blue jeans. She took his hand as they started off down the street. "So what're we going to do?"

"I don't know," he admitted with a smile. "I haven't been around lately to know what's going on. You decide."

"Okay, well…" she considered it. "The Contest Hall hired a photographer to work instead of an artist. The new managers don't seem too worried about sticking to tradition, but they have been a lot fairer than the staff under Trudy."

"Hmm." He scratched his head. "I suppose that's okay. I have been enjoying my art far more than when I was employed. I do have some paintings I've been working on of the legendary Pokemon Zepharia and Hu-kyo. I can show you them later."

"Really? Oh, I remember now, there's a comedy play at the Rosette Theatre that I've wanted to see. If we hurry, we might be able to get into the afternoon show."

He nodded. "Sure, let's give it a shot."

* * *

February 24

Listra

Listra was a small Arkahna community that thrived on the olive trees and grape vines that grew eagerly on the sunny hillsides. As it wasn't on any of the main routes, few outsiders came to visit. Those that did usually left soon after, as Listra was a strong conservative community who did not want outsiders in their home region, especially not their hometown.

The trees were still barren from winter's touch, but the snow had finally melted away from the hills. The streams were starting to flow again, but it was still a week or two away from the mountain melt that would flood these small paths. In this slowly awakening wilderness, a single man hiked along the stream. He had black hair with faint highlights of yellow; that was considered rare and made him attractive by Arkahna standards. But it also had faded streaks of gray as he was well into his fifties.

Climbing up a jagged incline of rocks, he came to a hilltop that had a good view over Listra. There he stopped, as it was a decent spot to be alone for a while. He came here every day, for the same purpose: to conduct prayers to the sun and moon goddesses.

But today, he faltered partway through. He had a feeling that something wasn't right. His advisers had reassured him that things were okay, that the troubles would go away if he remained firm in his statements. When he was with them, it was easy to go along with that. When he was here alone, though… they couldn't influence him.

He gripped his fist and felt like shouting. But in this area, something like that would be overheard all too easily. He settled on looking at the sky and speaking in low tones. "Goddess Desolaire, soul of the sun, I am your prophet, Arnold Essen Solaris. I have prayed to you faithfully for all my life and have waited to hear even a single word from you. I have learned all that I could to locate the Transcriber and awaken all six of you once again. I have lived my life and taught my people, both according to the words of my ancestors and the teachings you gave them. So then why have you given your sacred artifact to a pagan outsider and allowed him to awaken two members of the Spirit Clan?"

He had learned of the identity of the outsider through his followers: it was a young man from Hoenn who had previously worked as an artist. Mr. Starr seemed to be such a random and thoughtless choice to receive the sacred artifact. No matter how he thought of it, Essen could not figure out why he had been chosen. It made no sense.

"He's probably never prayed to you once," he said, some bitterness in his words. "He doesn't even have a single drop of Arkahna blood in his family history! So then why have Zepharia and Hu-kyo come to his call? I've done everything that I'm supposed to in order to be your Prophet and student, but all I have to show for it is the ability to use Hidden Power and that's it. What did I do wrong to earn your silence? Have you…. have you truly forsaken our people?" At that, he broken into tears and leaned on a wild olive tree.

How could he have failed like that? He had lived strictly according to religious doctrine that had been passed down to him by his father, down to him through his family who had all served as prophets to Desolaire. How could he have failed?

* * *

St. Rosaline

After seeing the play, Polaris took Megan out to dinner at a different restaurant, which ended up with them sneaking into the kitchen to talk to a chef who was a friend of hers. They talked with him for a while, then left to go window-shopping and talk. Late at night, they ended up at the beach.

As it was so late, there weren't many others out there. They walked along the edge of the waves, still finding new things to talk about. "You ought to see the Leni River Route at night," he told her. "There aren't many towns around, so the sky is full of stars. I saw a meteor shower one night down there."

"That sounds lovely," Megan replied. "Sounds like you're really enjoying traveling."

He nodded. "Yeah, I am. I find new things to draw every day, and then sometimes I get disappointed because I don't have time to draw everything." That made her laugh. Since she was in a good mood, he stepped closer to her. "I do find myself missing our daily visits. I think that's what I've missed most in this, was you."

She smiled back. "Yeah, that's something I've missed too. I enjoy getting your notes and chatting with you online."

"I love getting your emails," he admitted. Which was only one step from what he wanted to say. And he should say it. "I love you, Megan."

On saying that, he felt a flush of giddiness. In a moment, things could turn out like some beautiful romance novel, and… he tried to drive off those thoughts as he noticed that she wasn't responding. Megan hadn't moved away from him, but was looking at his face with a hard to read expression. Maybe she was finding it hard to figure out how she felt about that, he thought. Or maybe she wasn't sure if she could take this seriously. Then he'd have to prove it to her.

"I know it would be tough on us if... I mean, I'm traveling all over the region now, partly due to the League and partly due to by responsibilities to the Arkahna Spirit Clan, and you're working here at your diner. But that's okay. I admire that about you, that you're so dedicated to your dream and the cooking you love that you put all your heart and soul into it. I know how it is when art or cooking or something like that possesses you so strongly that you cannot let it go for anything else.

"And you've always been so kind and supportive, especially during the rough times I had last year. If I have a bad day, or even just a long one on the road, I can read your emails and feel good again, and it's nice to think that, if for some reason I fail at what I'm doing, I know that I can come back here and you at least would welcome me back. And I can be happy just in talking with you, and I see it's the same for you, so that's wonderful and I'd like to never lose that. I'd like to be closer to you, and to let you feel that you can always rely on me, no matter what."

Megan finally said, "Well, I haven't really thought about us in that way, seriously anyhow. I mostly gave up on finding someone because of… I mean, I'm not sure what to say." But she did momentarily move closer to him, enough that they bumped shoulders, which made her step back again.

There was a large doubt for a moment that he had done a dumb thing in telling her this and had ruined their friendship. But no, that wasn't like what the fortune said, and given that Hu-kyo was active, he was inclined to believe in it. She wasn't sure of her true feelings, and he could see proof in that by how her emotions seemed to shift constantly in listening to him. He had told her, so now he had to be patient and let her consider his words.

Squeezing her hand, Polaris replied, "It's okay. I hadn't really thought of it much until I met with Hu-kyo, and he's the god the Arkahns pray to in matters of love." He chuckled. "And I think I understand why they decided to do that with their god of storms."

She did giggle at that. "He's also the god of the mountains, partly sharing that with Santiperra."

He grinned. "That makes even more sense. Well I've told you, so think about it if you need to. Do you want me to walk with you back home? It is getting late."

"Yeah, we'd better."

It had cooled off again as they walked back into St. Rosaline. They were quiet, which caused Polaris' mind to argue with itself over whether that was good (because she was thinking about it) or bad (because she wasn't saying anything). Before long, they came back to her apartment by the diner.

"Oh," Megan said, holding off on going inside for a moment. "Polaris… thanks for the lovely evening out. It was fun." She smiled.

He smiled back. "You're welcome. It's good to hang out with you again."

"Right, well… good night." She finally let go of his hand.

"Good night," he echoed, giving her a wave.

Although he went straight back to the Pokecenter's inn for the night, he didn't end up falling asleep until Varia tricked him with some sleep-inducing spores.

* * *

Listra

Essen pulled a kettle off a hook hanging from a stone fireplace. The fire crackled as he poured the nearly boiling water into a cup with a tea bag. "Care for some?" he offered his adviser.

She shook her head. "No thanks, I'm fine."

Setting the kettle back, he returned to his chair. "What have you come for tonight, then?"

"We've located the outsider who has the Transcriber. He's currently in St. Rosaline, presumably headed for the Shrine of Courage. We can take him out by dawn if need be."

"Can you?" When she nodded, he leaned back and kept to himself for a minute. Then he shook his head. "No. Watch him, but leave him be."

She looked to him in surprise. "Leave him be?"

"He's summoned two of the gods, so he must be doing something right," Essen pointed out. "I considered this while I was praying and meditating outside today. I can't say why they have picked an outsider, or if he has done this out of trickery. But once he stands in the presence of Lunarium, he won't be able to hide. She will judge him and know if he is worthy to try summoning Desolaire. And in the end, we mortals must listen to the words of the gods, even if that has changed. The world has changed. Perhaps we must too."

* * *

February 25

St. Rosaline

Polaris walked over to the Arkahn church on Cinem Drive. Since the high priestess lived here, he wondered, should he knock on the door before entering? But then it turned out to be open. A carving of a sun was on the right door, while a matching one of the moon was on the left. It was an exquisite old building, he felt.

There was music coming from a stereo at the side of the main room. The high priestess Jynana was doing some work at a table, but a Pokemon noticed him come in and came over to check him out. She was a pretty little one, like a Ponyta in shape and size, but with no fire. Instead, she was ghostly in form, like a pale bluish-white mist pausing to sniff his hand. A single horn with a pearl like sheen came out of her head.

"Good morning, Unicrypt," he said softly, patting her snout. "May I speak with Jynana?"

Seeming pleased, she wuffled, then trotted over to to her friend and nudged her arm. The woman looked up and smiled at her, then noticed him. "Oh, pardon me." She got up and bowed. "Good morning…. You seem familiar, but… I'm sorry."

He bowed back. "It's okay. It's been a while since we met and that was just briefly. I'm Polaris Starr."

"Oh, right," Jynana said, finally recognizing him. Then she laughed, putting her hand to her chest. "Sorry, it's nothing. What have you come here for? I'm glad to help in any way I can."

"Thanks. It's about the Transcriber; I know Megan's talked with you about it. Well that and the Arkahna religion as a whole, I guess. I was just looking to learn more about your people." He pulled the white tablet out of his bag and showed it to her.

Both the priestess and the Unicrypt seemed intrigued to see it. "So this is the sacred artifact of the Sky Twins," Jynana said, touched it reverently. "Would you mind demonstrating how you use it?"

"That's fine. I've been working on at lately." He took the glass brush and drew a poppy with a stem. When he said the name to call it out, a bright red poppy with black pistols and green stem appeared on the tablet's surface. He gave it to her. "They still don't last long, but most Pokemon accept the flowers as proof. And I'm starting to get the colors right, although it's hard to get anything that's not solid colored like this."

She looked over the flower, then let her Pokemon check it out. "Being able to call on nature's power is proof enough, even if the effects don't last long. It may be because you're still learning it. Would you turn it around?"

"Okay." He flipped the tablet over where the six symbols were showing. "Sometimes those symbols are there and sometimes they're not. And I'm not sure what makes one any brighter than the others, but three are."

Her eyes widened when she saw that. "Oh! Well these symbols are for the six members of the spirit clan. When you receive the blessings of the particular god or goddess, their symbol turns brighter than the rest. So you have the blessings of Zepharia, Hu-kyo, and… Desolaire."

"Desolaire?" Polaris was confused. "But I haven't even met her. Zepharia told me I couldn't summon the Sky Twins until I awakened the rest. I shouldn't have her blessing."

"Unless she chose you as her apprentice," Jynana said. "Perhaps that's why the Transcriber came to you. Have you heard her voice or dreamt of her?"

"Um…" he tried to think of anything significant. Two things came to him. "Well, when I failed at the Shrine of Strength, the Maiden told me she thought I just wasn't ready. But that night, I dreamed of a bright light, like sunlight, at the end of some dark cave. And it seemed aware of me. Also, when I was at Deidre, I nearly got caught by an Arkahn warrior. I felt a presence with me, saying that she would protect me. Maybe I had made contact with her without awakening her somehow."

"Possibly." Jynana grinned. "Which means you should be able to awaken all six of the spirits. Thank you." She bowed, deeper this time. The Unicrypt bowed her head too.

"I'll do my best," Polaris said, feeling awkward. "So, would you mind teaching me about your religion?"

Putting her hand to her chin, she thought, then glanced at the Unicrypt. Then she shook her head. "Actually, I think I would mind. It's not about you, though. It's about us. We lost contact with the gods because we stopped listening. We tried to go back, but perhaps there is something still that we haven't done. You should learn about the Arkahna religion from the gods themselves, as you'll be meeting them in person."

"I guess that's true. I just didn't want to inadvertently offend or insult anyone."

"If they are offended by you, I don't think they would listen to any reason you gave."

* * *

After talking with Jynana for a while, Polaris went to buy a few things he needed that he hadn't picked up yesterday. Then he dropped by Megan's Diner for lunch. He had to come at the noon hour, though, so the place was busy. However, he soon spotted Megan at the counter, putting crackers into the bowls where anyone could take them for free. "Hello Megan," he called over the noise.

She looked over, then grinned. "Hello Polaris!" She picked up a couple of the baskets and set them down at various tables coming over to greet him.

Before he could say something else, she kissed him. There were a few heckling whistles and cheers from the kitchen area, which got a number of the customers to laugh. Polaris was a little flustered that she'd do that in the middle of the lunch rush, but then he figured, why bother? He got a kiss out of her and that was as good a response as any to last night's talk.

Megan then patted his shoulder. "Would you mind helping me pass out the crackers? I'll take my lunch and talk with you some more."

"Sure thing." He went back over to the counter with her and did as asked.

Since it was the two of them, they took a partly blocked off table by a back corner. They had gotten tortilla soup with different sandwiches for themselves, with various other dishes for the four Pokemon. "You know, I talked with Jynana and my dad for a long time last night after I got back," she admitted. "I've had trouble with boyfriends in the past because I'm stubborn about not being dependent on anyone. But you've already said that you're all right with that."

"I had a clingy girlfriend once," Polaris said. "That did not work out in so many ways."

"Right." Then she chuckled. "And then a couple of hours ago, Jynana called me back and said you'd visited. She said I'd better make a claim to you before some other girl does."

He laughed. "Really? She said that about me? I was just showing her the Transcriber and asking her some things about her culture."

"Well you left quite an impression on her. Anyhow, I know we're not going to be able to see each other much, but you're welcome to drop by any time you want. But one thing I want you to promise me now." She tapped the table and looked straight at him.

He took her hand. "What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll come back for the Grand Festival and we'll go on another date then."

"All right then. It's a promise."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Unicrypt

**Unicrypt**

The phantom unicorn Pokemon

Type: Psychic/Ghost

Ability: Clear Body/Super Luck

Description: Unicrypt is a small goat-like creature, standing about two and a half feet at the shoulder. Its body is mostly covered in short white fur with some blue highlights. The edges are soft and ethereal, fading out to a blue aura. Although the hooves are difficult to see due to the fading aura, they are silver in color. Unicrypt's mane and tail are also silver colored. It only has one horn, sitting above its eyes in the middle of its forehead. This horn is ivory in color and is, along with the face, more detailed than the rest of its body.

Notes: Unicrypt are normally shy Pokemon who rarely appear before humans. However, it is believed that they can tell when a person has a good heart and will readily approach such a person as a friend. Tamed Unicrypt can also be made accustomed to strangers, even in such stressful situations as battles and contests. If planning on this, a Trainer should be prepared to spend a lot of time overcoming this shyness. Once the Unicrypt is confident enough to obey in front of an audience, it will be a reliable partner in any circumstance. (A. Hollows)


	15. The Limits of Courage

March 1st, year 59

With what had happened at St. Rosaline, Polaris decided to try the Shrine of Courage. "I've always had trouble telling girls that I liked them," he said to Picasso as they walked along the shore. "So if I could manage with Megan, I think I'll be okay."

The human was walking, anyhow. Varia was swimming along the shore, while Jessu flitted about, occasionally landing on his shoulder for a rest. For fun, Picasso scampered around the water's edge, going in and out so that he kept close to the water without touching it. And it was a good day, walking along the beach on a sunny day, with a cool breeze coming off the water. This was something people who hurried along missed out on, Polaris thought. An enjoyable day, his Pokemon having fun, and everything so beautiful.

It could have only been better if Megan were with him, he thought. Then it'd be a perfect day. Maybe he would draw a picture of her on this beach. He'd send it to her, with a note that said, 'The picture would have been better if you'd been there with me.'

"Hey!"

He came out of his reverie to see a twelve year old boy running up to him. He waved. "Hi! Nice day, huh?"

He grinned. "Yeah. Nice day... for a battle!"

"Why?"

"Oh come on. You're a Trainer, I'm a Trainer, so let's Pokemon battle!"

"I guess. Although I don't know how much of it is actually training..." He whistled at the sea. "Varia!"

Polaris got stopped by a few more Trainers on the way. His three Pokemon were quite good, able to handle things themselves. However, he watched his opponent's moves and suggested counter strategies. That was something the Pokemon weren't as good at. He recalled battles he had seen on TV and used hints there for what he ordered.

As the sun was setting, the Shrine of Courage appeared. It was out on a large rock, past a rough patch of the sea. Polaris took out the tablet and considered the way. "If I knew the symbol for Surf, I could get out there myself."

Varia warbled, then shrugged. She didn't know Surf either.

Glancing around, he spotted something about the rocks in the water. He had to walk a little ways before he could see it: a simple bridge made of rope and wooden planks was out there. Further down the beach, they came upon wooden stairs that lead up to where the set of bridges started. It was nerve-wracking to cross them, since the sea below was rough and the bridges did not seem all that sturdy. But this wasn't the point to get scared. Polaris and his Pokemon crossed over to the Shrine of Courage, except for Varia who preferred to swim over.

The building turned out to be made of metal, surprising for an ancient structure. Maybe it had been wood at one point. This area would be hit hard by storms, so they would have to replace it every few years. The Heart Shrine had been well taken care of. Skill too, so it was reasonable that the Arkahn would remake the Courage one to be of metal, so it'd last a while longer.

Picasso seemed to like it, and made louder than necessary thumps as he moved along the floor. Varia slithered up a dock and met with them. However, there was a sealed door in the way. It had a white moon symbol on it. A cool breeze passed by them, and it would only get colder when the sun went down.

"I guess I can only enter at night," he thought aloud. "The sun and moon watch over me, I hope. And you'll be with me." And still, what would stop the dark spirit from coming here? It had spoken to him at the Shrine of Heart.

A beautiful warble reached his ears. He glanced down at the ocean and, for a second, thought he saw a gorgeous woman hanging by the rocks, barely dressed. Then he saw how her face had no eyes or lips, and a few white tentacles splashing in the water behind her. It was a Scyllamone. She cooed in a manner that still caused his spine to tingle, and then waved at him to come down.

"Scosa!" Varia squealed at her. The Rosamone hissed and waved her tentacles in challenge.

The wild Scyllamone chuckled, then waved at Polaris again. For a moment, he felt a strong impulse to chase after her, forgetting his own Pokemon and his mission. But Jessu flitted close to his ear; the hum of her wings snapped his mind back into reality. He looked away from the Scyllamone with some difficulty. "It's just looking to cause trouble. Thanks Jessu."

"Mew," she said smugly.

The Scyllamone shrieked in frustration before going back underwater. Varia hissed one last time, then made a self-satisfied warble. Was she jealous of the other's attempt to get his attention? The online Pokedex had warned that the female-only Lylthmone line, while not attracted to humans in a sexual manner, did get possessive of male Trainers. Polaris hoped that her jealousy wouldn't extend to the other maidens. Or to Megan.

The sun set and the sky darkened. It took some time for the sunlight to fully fade. Once it did, the seal vanished. Polaris waited a moment, but his Pokemon were still with him. He entered the darkened Shrine.

There weren't any murals in this one. It was just a small rectangular room. At the other end, the maiden's statue sat guarding the door. However, Polaris wasn't sure what Pokemon it was supposed to be. It looked like a statue of a sword with its tip stuck into the pedestal. From the shape of the blade, it might have been an Oriental katana. At its side lay a fancy helmet, like that a samurai would wear. Nothing else about the room seemed to be out of the ordinary. The place could have been a fisherman's dock.

"There's a feeling of trickery to this room," Garnet noted. "Polaris, whatever happens, be brave."

"I'll try," he said, stepping forward.

In an instant, the room warped around him. The rock that provided the Shrine's base vanished, leaving him on a metal grating floor looking down at a black frothing sea. That would not be pleasant to fall in. When he glanced around, his Pokemon had vanished. Even the leaf pendant had vanished. But it had to be an illusion, for this was the test. He kept moving forward.

In a few steps, the room was hundreds of feet above the water's surface. He took another step and the walls fell away, letting in a sharp-edged wind. This was significantly less safe, he thought. But it was still just illusions. He took a few more steps and the ceiling vanished leaving the stars to twinkle, the floor narrowed to a foot across, and the wind and waves picked up considerably. Not safe at all.

Polaris' heart pounded through his throat. His knees felt weak as he dropped down to hang onto the grating. When he looked ahead, the statue looked no closer than before. This wasn't going to work out and he should have expected that. He was only destined to fail, as he had so many times before.

He thought of turning back, but then realized that his biggest fear probably was that of failure. He always took things cautiously, spending a long time considering whether or not he should do something. If it hadn't been for others, he wouldn't have made the biggest moves in his life. Whatever power was behind this Shrine was able to play off any fear he had, not just things that would have scared anybody.

Still not comfortable with walking on this narrow passage so high in the air (even if it were only an illusion), Polaris took a few crawling steps forward. He kept hold of the metal grating, as some form of security. The scene didn't change much. Perhaps he had passed the biggest obstacle of the test and the maiden simply wanted him to finish what lay before him.

Black fingers appeared through the grating ahead of him. Before he could think of what it was, a roar filled his ears. Three large black and green snakes appeared around the pathway, waiting to strike at him as he passed by. From below the grating, red eyes glared bright with hatred.

Frozen to the spot, he heard the cracking of stone ahead. The statue's exterior fell away, revealing a silver-bladed katana with a handle wrapped in red leather. A yellow, almost golden, smoke emerged as the katana lifted itself out of the pedestal. After coiling up the blade, it formed a small goblin-ish body. She snatched up the helmet, now crimson with gold accents, and placed it on her head, hiding her face so that only her glowing red eyes appeared.

The strange samurai Pokemon then took hold of the sword's handle in both hands, even though her smoky body emitted from the katana's tip. She launched herself forward, slicing through one of the snake heads. Screeching, the demon was forced to pull back its snake tails to repair the one. It launched a red energy beam at the shrine maiden.

A ghostly voice touched his ears. 'Go to the pedestal to end this illusion.' Then she moved down to slash at the demon.

With that encouragement, Polaris got up shakily. His legs still felt heavy, but he ran forward. The demon tried to grab at him through the grating, but he wound up stepping on its fingers. Trying to ignore its howl of pain, he made it past and put his hands on the pedestal. The Shrine returned to what it once had been.

He turned around to a different cry of pain. Although made up entirely of phantasm smoke, he could tell that the maiden had been badly injured. A throbbing black gouge went from her left shoulder down to her right... it would have been a hip on a humanoid Pokemon, but she had no legs. She let go of her katana, letting it float in front of her, while she crossed her arms over her injured chest.

"Maow!" Jessu called in alarm. She flew over to in front of her peer and hovered to cast a shimmering spell.

"Sorry," he said, coming over to the ghostly Pokemon. "We can hurry back to the last town to get you to the Pokecenter."

"Ehh seh reyhhh," she replied, appearing stoic although her eyes still betrayed how pained she was.

"She says you must summon Misaillo before attending to her," Garnet translated.

A starry sparkle finally appeared from Jessu's Wish, restoring some energy to the ghost. But the large black scar didn't fade at all. Varia hummed, moving in closer as if to protect her. Feeling that the company would comfort her for the time being, Polaris nodded. "Okay. I'll try to make this quick."

She nodded, opening the door that had been behind her statue. Picasso looked to the three maidens, then hopped along after Polaris as he went up the stairs. Past this, there was an observation area much like there had been at the other two shrines. Also like the others, there was a scroll with a stylized depiction of the Water spirit. He still took his time to mentally trace the drawing before copying it onto the tablet. If he hurried and messed up, that would only increase the pressure and take even longer.

As he finished, he felt like he was being touched by a frosty mist. However, the air was as clear as ever. He touched the tablet. "Misaillo, would you please awaken?"

Then the mist did appear, thick and white like frothy milk. After swirling around them, it was pushed away as Misaillo leapt out of the sea and stopped by them as if she were still in the water. She had a long snout followed by round amber eyes. Much of her twenty foot body was sleek, silvery-gray, and streamlined, like that of a Sharpedo without the rough skin. However, her fins were much different, much showier. Her side fins were fifteen foot long each, turning thin yet strong, much like a lightweight aircraft, or sails. These sails were white with blue edging.

Her top fin was also a sail, this one triangular like that found on a sailboat. It had a symbol of an ice blue mark curved up like an 'S' stretched out by its end points. Although he couldn't see it well from where he was, Polaris could see that her tail fin was wide and fanned out horizontally. Perhaps she was very brave in order to swim in the rough Sea of Jasper with those large showy fins, he thought.

Immediately, she seemed concerned. "Pilgrim, I would say welcome, but something feels amiss here. Where is my shrine maiden?"

"She's back in the main room," he told her. "I got attacked by some demon in the middle of the test and she got hurt badly in the fight."

"Mew!" Jessu darted up to his side, then began explaining things in a hurry.

Misaillo gave a twitch of the sail over her head. "That bad? Pilgrim, you'd best take Lethe to be healed no matter how stubborn she is. Do you know the symbol for Teleport?"

"No."

"Here it is." She summoned a dark green symbol in the mist, of three ovals stacked within a circle. "Imagine where you want to teleport to, but take care to use outdoor spaces in open areas at first. Once you feel comfortable with it, then you can attempt passing through obstacles such as walls, stones, and metals."

"Okay."

"I will speak to you again when she is well. Simply come back any shore of the Jasper Sea and summon me." She dropped back into the ocean and sped off into the mists she had brought.

He went down to put Lethe into a Pokeball and go outside before attempting his first Teleport.

* * *

The place he had chosen was a little town nearby called Tipa. When he walked into the clean new Pokecenter, there was only the nurse. "Excuse me," he said, "but a new Pokemon of mine has gotten badly hurt." He put the Pokeball on the counter.

"I'll check on it," she replied, taking the ball and putting it in the healing machine. She ran an inspection program and got a red alert. "Oh my. Excuse me, but we aren't an emergency care facility. I'll have to transport you over to Aetha City. Come with me."

He followed her into a teleport room. "Isn't St. Rosaline closer?" he asked.

"Yes, but for Ghost Pokemon, you want either Aetha or Zeitgest. The staff there will know of the problem. Please enter the chamber."

"Thank you," he said as he stepped onto the glossy telepad floor. The machine made him feel exactly as the spell he'd used did, an unnerving tingling sensation and disorientation as the world melted and reformed around him.

And instead of a Nurse Joy with him, there was no one with him. But within seconds, a blue haired nurse was in the room. "You had the Katisp Lethe, right? Would you hand her over?"

He was puzzled for a second until she said Lethe's name. "Yes, here you are." He passed the Pokeball on.

"The nurse in the lobby will take care of your other Pokemon and show you to the overnight rooms. Pardon me." She left the telepad room in a rush.

He left for the lobby and took care of the rest of his team. "Do you know of a good diner or something that'll allow my Pokemon too?"

She thought, then said, "There's a place two blocks south called Podley's, which is good and fairly cheap. They should still be open. If you give me your cell number, I'll contact you if something comes up with your other Pokemon."

"Yes, that would be a big help." He gave her his number, then left for the restaurant.

After ordering meals for himself and the three Pokemon, he opened his computer and checked for information of his new Pokemon. As he suspected, it was a Ghost type. And a Fighting type, which made sense given her skill with her katana. Like the Kuni, it was a rare type. Katisps weren't as restricted in habitat as the flying felines, but they lived in remote haunted areas, only appearing at night. They were more likely to appear at scenes where there had been great violence, like old battlefields. As if that weren't enough to cause jealousy, finding a female Katisp was a difficult task as most that appeared before humans were males.

"I'm going to have to be very careful with you all," Polaris said. "All of you are rare kinds, difficult to find, or both. Maybe I should buy a secure holder."

"Sepa," Picasso said, patting his arm.

Polaris smiled. "Right, if anybody stole you, they'd return you right back with as annoying as you can be."

The Smeargle blew a raspberry at him, although the wink after let him know that the joke was appreciated. Jessu and Varia giggled.

As they walked back to the Pokecenter, Polaris got a call on his cell phone. The doctor wanted to see him about Lethe. He recalled his three others to their Pokeballs, then went in back to the office. "Is she doing all right?"

"She'll be fine with a good rest," the doctor replied. "However, that's going to cause a problem."

He sat down in the tan chair. "How so?"

"First of all, this is an unusual injury. I would use rare and almost never seen except," he glanced at a computer screen, "we've had nearly three dozen cases of similar injuries in Pokemon across the Sea of Jasper region in the past month, with about two dozen humans with the same. The creature causing it has strange venom, not poison, that holds a thirty percent chance of killing the victim outright. Most of the victims have died but, due to unfortunate experience, we've been able to figure out how to neutralize the venom and save the victim with few after effects."

Polaris felt his mouth go dry, but he had to say it. "It, it was caused by a demon. She fought it off for me and I caught her to get her healed in thanks."

The doctor made a note of that on the computer. "That is what many of the witnesses report as well, that this creature is a demon. A year ago, I wouldn't have believed it, but with so many incidents, I have to. It was great of you to bring her in for healing, but then we have the usual problem with her kind."

"What's that?"

"The Katisp race is known for being able to swing their sword at threats while asleep, even while under relaxant drugs. Any kind of threat, like an unfamiliar presence or noise. Therefore, in order to preserve the equipment and the safety of our staff, we have to latch the sword down. They hate this, as it makes them feel insecure. And we can't drug her before we secure her sword, or else she will panic when she starts coming to and can't move it."

"Then you want me to talk her into it," Polaris reasoned.

"Yes. We'll let you be alone; use the call button when you've got her ready.'

And he had just gotten her. Somehow, it didn't strike him as a good idea to have them do that with a newly acquired Pokemon. He might have an advantage in having to prove himself in order to take her. Maybe Katisps tested any Trainer who tried catching them. He went into the designated room and went through the curtain.

The bed they had put her in made him think of an open coffin. Mostly enclosed, it had a curved hood that was exposed only on one side. As he came around to see her, it was apparent this was more like a small cave. Lethe had herself in a position near the back where she could watch the opening. Her sword was easily reachable in the middle of the cave area. While her body couldn't be easily bandaged up (being a Ghost and all), there was an odd greenish-blue mist that had a slight smell of disinfectant. The latches were near the opening.

"How are you feeling, Lethe?" he asked, sitting by the opening.

"Essen," she spoke quietly. Then her voice came into his mind. 'What is this place? It feels of healing, but it is so very strange.'

"This is a Pokecenter," he told her. "The hospital section where they take care of the more serious problems. They use the best of modern technology and ancient wisdom to heal Pokemon according to each species' preferences. Which is why they've got you in here."

'The only place I would choose over this would be a healing chamber, but only the Shrine of Power has that. I guess it's fine.'

"They say you just need a good long rest in order to heal up."

She looked a little surprised. 'Just one sleep? They are quite skilled.'

Now for the bad part. It seemed the best way was simply to tell her, even as harsh as it was. "They want to attach a monitor to you before you go to sleep. And I'm sorry to tell you this, but they want your sword latched down while you rest."

"Huu?" she asked, drawing back some and clutching her katana. 'How would I defend myself then?'

"This place is safe. They've got highly trained Pokemon here to defend the patients and help when needed. We'll be fine."

'But why would they need my sword tied down?'

"You don't know most of the people around here, but they need to come over here to check on you every now and then. These people dedicate their lives to helping and healing others. You wouldn't want to hurt them, right?"

'True,' Lethe was still crouched back reluctantly. 'But I need to be ready at all times."

A different telepathic voice came to them. 'Maiden Lethe, you should allow yourself to be bound.'

The Katisp cringed and made a sad gurgle. 'Misaillo...' She closed her eyes, crying.

Feeling upset in sympathy, Polaris reached in to take her hand, the one not hanging onto the katana's handle. For a moment, his passed through hers, like he was trying to clasp smoke. "You'll be fine, Lethe. It will only be for this night."

She wrapped her fingers around his hand. Now it had the consistency of ash, something he could hold onto even if it felt frail. For a while, she wouldn't release her sword. Then she let go to hold onto his hand with both of hers. He put his other hand on top of hers, waiting on her to calm down.

In time, she did open her eyes back up. 'If we must,' she said, with a definite feel of fear and sadness.

"I know it's a big sacrifice for you to make," he said. "But you will be healthy tomorrow."

'I knew someone long ago who was weak for three months off a similar attack. I hope these skilled people are honorable.'

"I trust them," he told her. "Otherwise I wouldn't have gone along with this."

Now that she let go of his hands, he took the handle of her katana. A cold tingling sensation shot through his arm. Lethe closed her eyes again and retracted her natural defenses to a slight numbing. Taking care of the sharp edge and her anxiety, Polaris placed it in the latches and locked it down. He then took one of her hands again as he reached over to call the doctor in.

The doctor put a medicine into the misting device. After making sure it was all right, Polaris held onto Lethe while the sleep medication took hold. Her eyes kept returning to him for reassurance while she watched the doctor and anything else she could see. Eventually, her hand fell through his and she was deeply asleep.

* * *

March 2nd, year 59

When he woke up, Polaris went to check on Lethe. She was half asleep, with her body barely visible. He undid the latch on the blade of her katana. Instantly, her smoke 'tail' jerked as if to swing the sword. Because the handle was still latched, it clanked against the metal.

The golden smoke began to form more clearly and her crimson eyes opened up. The black scar was now gone. 'Oh, pilgrim,' she said, her mental speech a little unclear. 'I'm sorry.'

"It's forgiven," he replied, undoing the other latch. She brought her sword to her chest and clutched it in both hands, relieved to have it back. "You may come out of there to clear your head and wake up a little more. But we have to wait for the doctor to look you over to leave."

She nodded and came out of the bed. After looking about the curtained off area, she settled down by the wall to rest. Her smoke fully vanished, making it appear as if there was just a helmet and a sword left on the ground. Polaris sat down by her and drew for a little while.

'That is well made,' Lethe said without warning.

He tensed for a moment, then smiled. He had a still-life (so to speak) of her helmet and katana leaning against the wall. "Thanks. I really wanted to dedicate my life to art. I still try to draw a little every day."

'You may well need to do so in the future,' she said enigmatically.

Before he got a chance to ask her what she meant, the doctor came in. He checked over her one last time, then released her from the Pokecenter's care. The bill came out rather high, due to the fact that Ghosts required special care. However, Polaris filled out the payment agreement without complaint.

* * *

South of Aetha City, there was a large sandy beach. That made it very popular and crowded. Instead, Polaris went north, to a rocky cliff line where the water reached deeper closer to shore. He used Surf and Fly to go out to one of the further rocks; Varia followed after him to make sure he was safe. Lethe came along, reluctantly hanging back in an eerie quiet.

He sketched Misaillo on the tablet again and called her. Once again, the area filled with a white fog. She floated up near them, giving him a gentle greeting. "Pilgrim Polaris." Then she looked to her maiden and spoke sternly. "Lethe."

Crestfallen, the Katisp came up to her master. Polaris noted that she moved her sword to her side, instead of holding it in front of her as she normally did. 'Master Misaillo, I know that I have behaved disgracefully. I am deeply sorry to have disappointed you. I will resign my post if that is what you wish.'

"I know that you have shown cowardice and selfishness recently," Misaillo responded in a formal manner. "And yet, you have also shown great courage, resolve, and judgment when you appeared before tradition, but when you were needed, in order to fight off a devil which the entire clan has had to unite together in order to overthrow. It is of equal matter."

'That was my duty,' Lethe stated, still with her glowing eyes downturned.

"The same demon still threatens the apprentice to the sky twins. Thus, we shall start over. Your past matters not. You are my shrine maiden and I expect you to uphold your duties flawlessly."

Her helmet finally came back up to look at Misaillo. 'Master, your mercy is taken with deep gratitude. My sword shall serve you well.'

"That is what I expect. But since we start anew, I dismiss you from this meeting."

'Very well.' She vanished back to her Pokeball.

Polaris felt uncertain about Misaillo now. Would she accept him? It seemed unlikely as she was so strict on her shrine maiden.

Then she spoke courteously to him. "You do not need to worry. But take heed of how I spoke to her. You don't want to inadvertently insult her."

"She expects to be treated that harshly?"

"It is the way of her race, service before self. But I do not treat the subject of that devil lightly."

"What is it? I didn't recognize the form."

"It has no name, nor a certain form. It is... a mistake of our people from long ago. One leader sought the power to conquer and rule over his neighbors. While he united the lands around this sea, he also gave life to the evil within his heart. It had been sealed last I knew, but we've been asleep off and on for a thousand years."

"Is there anything I can do to keep it away?"

"It can find the tiniest holes in defenses to attack. However, if you draw on the power of the sun and the moon, even by something as simple as drawing the sky twins symbols at a night's camp, that would repel it."

Polaris nodded. It made sense; some of his father's protection techniques worked in the same way. "Okay. I'll start doing that."

Misaillo gave a warbling sound which wasn't translated, although something about it seemed worried. "Hu-kyo told me that there is something in your past that you fear, something that could be taken advantage of."

Not good; he probably wasn't going to get her acceptance. "W-well it shouldn't matter unless I go back to Hoenn. And I'm not so sure it would help the demons all that much…"

She looked at him with her blue-gray eyes, in a way that made Polaris feel exposed. Unexpectedly, the look softened. "It should be taken care of. You have courage, pilgrim, even when it seems you don't. Before you return to Santiperra, I want you to go to Jade Palace. Within that ancient structure is a place called the Hall of Sorrow. I want you to enter the Hall of Sorrow and take the treasure that lies at the end of it. If you can make it through there, then the incident is only in your memory, without the power to harm you further. I will give you my blessing then; go ahead and take Lethe with you. I hope that in protecting you, she will regain her confidence."

"Yes. Thank you; I'll keep an eye on her."

Misaillo drew her top sail back slightly; it was a gesture of appreciation, Polaris felt. "Good day, pilgrim." She then dropped back into the water, taking her misty veil with her as she swam away.

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Katisp

**Katisp**

The Lost Warrior Pokemon

Type: Ghost/Fighting

Ability: Guts, Sniper

Description: Most notable about this Pokemon is the sword: a ghostly silver katana blade three feet long with a large red and gold handle on top. Spiraling up the sword is a smoky yellow serpent tail leading up to a small hominid body, like that of an imp. Its head consists of a samurai's helmet in red and gold. Orange eyes glow from the inside the helmet. When you see Katisp in action, its ghost-serpent tail is connected to the tip of the silver blade.

Notes: A Katisp is a highly intelligent and loyal Pokemon; however, one cannot, in good conscious, recommend them as an ideal Pokemon for the regular Trainer. They have a mindset of serving and protecting those they respect. Unfortunately, they have very high standards. If a Trainer does not meet those standards, the Katisp will be rebellious and insulting. Several Trainers have reported a captured Katisp bypassing the usual obedience code that most Pokemon follow. They are quite difficult to locate and capture, which may be a good thing in this case. If a Trainer can earn a Katisp's respect and keep it, however, it will be a skilled member of the Trainer's team. (A. Hollows)

Key Search: Misaillo

**Misaillo**

Legendary Pokemon of the Leni River

Type: Water/Ice (unconfirmed)

Ability: (unknown)

Notes: Misaillo is one of the six spirits that have led the Arkahna religion. She favors those who are brave and steadfast. Often associated with winter, she is prayed to by sailors wanting a safe journey, with her symbol painted on their sails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, I wrote this story before Kalos came out with the Aegislash line, which means I was really happy to see a ghostly sword Pokémon in canon. I still think Katisp is different, being based on a katana instead.


	16. Jack, Master of the Ordinary

March 4th, year 59

Most of Aetha City itself wasn't too interesting to most traveling Trainers. It prided itself on being a very family oriented city, which could be seen in its large primary and secondary schools, the presence of two public pools, and proliferation of jungle gym equipment. However, it was also home to a great many Pokemon breeders, and there was a well-known Daycare Center on the outskirts of town. There was the Gym and that's where most travelers went. It was said that any Aetha City resident always had to return home to earn this badge, as it was much too tough at the first badge stage.

After spending a day relaxing, Polaris went to the Aetha Gym. "Do you feel up to a series of battles, Lethe?" he asked.

The Katisp looked over the Gym. 'Are you sure?' she asked in a worried tone. 'After my disgraceful behavior and loss the other day, I would think you'd not want to trust my blade.'

He thought for a moment of telling her that it wasn't disgraceful, but caught himself. The Pokemon had different beliefs. As he had to be skeptical of Varia's attentions, he may have to match Lethe's warrior belief system.

"I still want to see what you are capable of," he told her instead. "I also saw you attack that demon fearlessly and slice off one of its heads. Since the two events counter each other, we'll consider that my faith is neutral now."

'I see,' she replied, feeling more confident. 'Then I hope to prove my skill to you today.'

Polaris hoped that she wouldn't see through his trick. The sign on the Gym stated, 'Aetha City Pokemon Gym. Leader: Jake Short, Master of the Ordinary'. It was a Normal type Gym; Normals could not hit her easily due to her Ghost typing, but were hit strongly by her Fight typing. Then again, in the shows he had watched, the Pokemon of this Gym were immensely strong and skilled.

When they opened the door, there was a small hallway leading to another door. A woman was kneeling by a low counter. "Welcome to Aetha City Gym," she said crisply. "Please take off your shoes and socks."

"Oh, right." He did so, placing them in one of the unoccupied slots.

"Are you here to register a challenge with our Gym today?"

"Yes please." He passed over his Badge Box and two of his Pokeballs.

She nodded as she took them. "So you know of the rules we follow? Challengers are to choose two Pokemon to face four challengers, with Jake as the last. All Doubles."

"Right."

The receptionist handed back his items. "Very well. Please wait quietly until called. Good luck." Her tone indicated that he would need luck.

They entered a square room that looked like a dance studio. A bamboo mat was on the floor, in various shades of tan and brown. On the walls, there were glass vases with simple flower and stick arrangements. A bead curtain on another door moved aside, letting in a teenaged girl. She wore a uniform of the Young Rangers, outdoors gear that helped those working in wilderness reserves for months at a time. "Welcome to our Gym," she said with a bright smile. "I'm your first opponent, so be ready! I have Delcatty and Aracholf!"

"Um, right," Polaris said, releasing his other chosen Pokemon, Jessu. They were up against a larger cream and purple feline as well as a dark gray spider that had a vaguely canine head. "Jessu, get the Aracholf; Lethe, the Delcatty."

"Sing and Oder Sleuth," the girl ordered.

A double danger, then. The sleep status of Sing was obvious, but Oder Sleuth would remove any difficulty the two Normal type Pokemon had in hitting Lethe. That is, if they survived past this round. Jessu darted over with a burst of wing, whipping the Aracholf off the ground and into the wall, knocking it out. The Delcatty sang a lullaby, putting the Kuni to sleep. But the Katisp had taken an extra moment to make sure that she hit her target hard. The Delcatty was out quickly too.

"I shouldn't have been knocked out that fast," the girl Ranger said. "Anyhow, you still won't make it." She left through the bead curtain.

'They must have some cunning to make a boast like that,' Lethe noted. 'Or too much pride.'

"I'd rather err on the side of caution," Polaris said, using an Awakening on Jessu's ball.

Next came a young man, probably around his age. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, the latter advertising a local university. "All right then, I'm up next," he said quietly. He took his two Pokeballs and released a Girafarig and a Gemselle. "Gem, back up Rig's shadow."

While the former was more dangerous to Lethe, the latter was more dangerous to Jessu. And he wanted to make the Katisp feel better. "Get the Gemselle quick," he told them. "You use Charm," he added to Jessu.

The Kuni flew ahead and made a cutesy spiral. However, this cutesy attack doubled as a curse, lowering their opponent's physical power. The Gemselle braced itself, looking to its partner. But then Lethe struck it with her sword, knocking it out. The Girafarig then fired a dark ball of energy at Lethe. She kept her response to just a grunt, but Polaris recognized it as a Dark type attack. This Gym knew how to deal with its type issues.

"Go ahead," Polaris told Lethe. "You, get its attention."

Jessu meowed loudly, darting over and making sparkles fly over herself and the Girafarig. Although the young man had ordered an attack of Lethe, the Girafarig tried to hit Jessu with the Shadow Ball attack. She flitted away, avoiding both the Shadow Ball and Lethe's slashing strike at the Girafarig. It didn't last.

"But then you did make a cunning choice in Pokemon," the young man said, then left the battle room.

'This is used as a kind of sport?' Lethe asked him.

He nodded as he used a Super Potion on her. "Yeah, it's very popular. There's eight of these Gyms in each region for a Trainer to beat, then you get a chance to compete for a championship."

She let go of her katana with one hand and flexed it. 'I suppose your technology has advanced enough for this to be feasible. That's quite interesting.'

Another young man came in the room. He wore a loose jacket and gear that suggested someone who focused on Flying Pokemon. "What're you talking to your Pokemon about?"

"Just stuff," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"If you want. Well let's see if you're worthy of having that Kuni." He released his own Kuni along with a Staraptor.

"Mew?" Jessu asked.

The male Kuni opposing them hissed, fluffing himself up to look impressive. One of a Normal team's main threat was in the Fighting Pokemon and this pair was definitely here to give any pair with that kind a hard time. "Get them!" the bird tamer called.

'That's just sloppy,' Lethe commented.

"Jessu, use Tailwind," Polaris ordered. "Lethe, get the Staraptor with its own type."

The Katisp nodded as her peer whipped up a breeze to go against the other two flying Pokemon. She struck with the slashing attack, but didn't completely knock out the Staraptor. In response, the Staraptor struck with its wing, hitting her hard. The male Kuni flew in circles, setting up an attack. Probably Razor Wind, Polaris thought.

"Get their attention on you," he told his Kuni.

Agreeing to that, she caused the attention grabbing sparkles again while Lethe finished off the Staraptor. It had tried a fast moving attack, but this one phased right through the Katisp. Thousands of tiny wind blades then homed in on Jessu, but she expertly darted in and out of all of them.

"Air Slash the Katisp," the bird tamer called out.

"Again," he said, waving to Jessu. "Lethe, make sure you hit it."

She readied her blade, but held off on attacking. The male Kuni sent a wave of wind energy at Lethe, but Jessu flew up and diverted it, unfortunately getting her knocked out in the process. Then Lethe struck, so quickly and accurately that the tiny cat couldn't dodge it.

"You're not supposed to sacrifice a Pokemon like that," the bird tamer claimed, then left the room in a huff.

'His language was a bit harsh," Lethe noted. 'And I disagree. It is a viable strategy, especially since you can revive her for the next battle.'

"Yeah," Polaris agreed, reviving the Kuni, then getting the Katisp healed up. "But now we've got the vital match," he told them.

Jack Short then entered the room. True to his family name, he was short. He had dark violet hair that hung just past his shoulders but past that, he looked rather like a tidy business man, with a creaseless white button-up shirt, tailored black pants, and classy black leather shoes. A gold chain bearing a triangular symbol of the Sinnoh church hung around his neck. As he entered, he had a business like smile as well.

"Good work," Jack said, making a sign like he was tipping his hat, even though he wore none. "We don't often have first time challengers get through that fast. But you may still need to be better yet." He looked over the two Pokemon Polaris had out, then said, "And let's begin." He released a Zangoose and a Lickilicky. "Target your progressive strength," he ordered them.

The Zangoose, another he knew from Hoenn, was naturally quick and could know some Dark-type moves. But progressive? Unable to figure it out immediately, Polaris dismissed it for his planned strategy. "Lethe, counter. Jessu, Tailwind.

After Jessu's wind started up again, Lethe prepared her sword. The Zangoose rushed over and slashed at Lethe. However, there was a slight buzz in that attack and it connected to the Katisp. She turned that energy back around on him. Then the Lickilicky curled up and attempted to bowl into Jessu. The Kuni managed to fly out of its range, though.

Progressive… he was using progressively growing attacks, probably Rollout and Fury Attack. But right as Polaris figured that out, Jack switched tactics. "Back him up there."

Lethe drifted back towards him, so he said, "Show me your strongest attack that will connect to that one. Jessu, howl."

She nodded, then bolted across the battlefield, getting daringly close to the Zangoose. Jessu howled, causing a blessing of strength to come over her and her peer. The Lickilicky had rolled back around and tried to lend the Zangoose some extra power, but Lethe struck savagely and knocked the mongoose Pokemon out. As she pulled back, she seemed winded.

At a slight wince, Polaris knew that Jack was in a tight spot. Maybe he had chosen the Lickilicky for being able to take out a Kuni, not a Katisp. He gave another order, but Polaris just had his Pokemon repeat their last round to take out the Lickilicky as well.

"Did that hurt you too badly?" he asked quietly as Lethe came back over.

'It doesn't hurt,' she replied. 'It just makes the rest of the fight harder without that extra blessing Jessu gave.'

"You certainly know how to use teamwork there," Jack said. "But you came here a bit early to see some of my real combos. Still, you're going the right way in your training." One of his Trainers came in and passed over a white box. "Here's your rewards. And if you'll excuse me, we've already got another match lined up."

"Okay." He took the box and headed out to get his socks and shoes back. On the way, he opened the reward box and pulled out the badge. It was a circular yin-yang symbol, which he showed to Lethe. "That's my third badge, then. Thank you."

'So they scale the difficulty to the number of badges the Trainer has, then?' Lethe asked.

He nodded. "Right. Even so, this is said to be a tough Gym any time you challenge it."

'Well that's disappointing,' she replied.

* * *

March 15th, year 59

Polaris brought his four Pokemon out to the edge of Jade National Park to train. "One of the Gyms is nearby, the Grass type one," he told the two who hadn't been here before. "We tried to beat it with Picasso and Jessu, but the Leader defeated us."

'These Gym Leaders are highly skilled at training Pokemon,' Lethe noted to Varia. 'Not even having a disadvantage of type lessens their resolve.'

Polaris put his hand to his chest. "Well I know all of you are great Pokemon. I'm not all that great as a Trainer, though. I haven't even managed to catch any. But I'll help how I can."

"We'll also be helping you," Garnet said.

"Right. I guess I should get familiar with the elements of my masters. Desolaire is Fire, right? What about Lunarium?"

'Desolaire is Fire, like the sun,' Lethe said. 'But she is also Psychic, watching over us all. Lunarium, being of the moon, is dark and mysterious, while being light and wise. She is Dark and Psychic.'

He felt a twinge of nervousness. "Is that so? I've worked with some Psychic abilities. Dark, though, I haven't tried that…" Not to mention the fact that Dark type Pokemon often freaked him out more than Ghosts.

'Dark Pokemon are more about trickery than straight damage,' Lethe noted. 'But those tricks are still useful. You should figure out the main symbol for it.'

After getting that from Picasso (the native Smeargle symbology apparently worked well enough), Polaris worked on that. He wanted to have better control when he went to face the Shrine of Power again. The maidens offered suggestions of how to modify the symbols to get other effects. Like making certain that drawing the Fire symbol got a certain attack instead of drawing from moves randomly. Lethe even helped him figure out how to hold back on power, using a lesser attack instead of the more powerful ones. Sometimes, those lesser attacks were more useful.

There was a moment where he realized there were only two of his Pokemon with him. Lethe was having a practice battle with a wild Machoke, while Varia observed his practice and offered gushing praise (although he knew some of that wasn't just praise). "Where's Picasso and Jessu?" he asked.

"Wheh?" Varia blinked and shook her rosebud. She didn't know where they were and didn't seem too bothered that they weren't here.

"They went off exploring, I think," Garnet said. "I hope they aren't fighting again."

"Right, maybe I ought to check on them. Lethe, did you see Jessu or Picasso going anywhere?"

The Katisp pointed northwest. 'I sense them that way…' the Machoke then tried to dart over and bash her, but she blocked with her sword. "Kaa wooo," she retorted. The Machoke grunted, then retreated into the tall grasses

Polaris went to look, followed by his two Pokemon. The first sign he got of them was a shaking in the lush green grass. Then, both of them appeared before him. "Mew, marooo!" Jessu called in a sing-song manner.

"Ke tah," Picasso added.

"They say they've seen a wild Pokemon that you might be interested in," Garnet translated. "That's kind of you both to go looking for a new teammate."

"Right," Polaris added. "Would you show me, please?"

"Murr," the Kuni said, then flew off back the way they had come.

After passing over a hill, they came upon a small pond. The surface rippled as fish and Water Pokemon swam up and around. Several land Pokemon were gathered for a drink: a pair of Sentrets, a Gemselle, a Stantler, and an Absol. Picasso pointed out the Absol as the one they thought he might want to add to the group.

And it was an elegant creature, with a dainty body structure, silky white and black fur, a sickle like blade crowing from its head, and a lovely face. It would also give him some reference to the Dark type, which would help in his own training. "An Absol would be nice," he said quietly, to avoid disturbing the Pokemon. "They were in Hoenn too, where people thought they brought bad luck. But my Dad said that they predict disasters, not bring them."

"Meeh?" Jessu looked at him curiously.

"Well they're taking a break," Polaris pointed out. "I don't want to bother them."

She chuckled, then flew over to the pond. The Absol noticed her coming over and listened to her as she spoke with him. After taking another sip, he came over, apparently willing to give a fight.

"You didn't have to do that," Polaris said. "Anyhow, Varia, you're up."

She gave a bell tone laugh and went closer to the Absol, who gave her a playful gesture of readiness. The Rosamone was the best choice for capturing, he figured. She knew many status effects, which all made it easier for the Pokeball to secure its target. But he had to start things off.

"Use Attract," he told her.

She giggled while the Absol ran up and tackled her. Once he got close enough, she kissed him with her rosebud. While Varia still took the tackle, the Absol backed off then, cooing softly and raising a paw at her. Polaris then had her stun him, then use minor attacks to whittle down his health. At one point, she glanced back at him and gave a questioning warble.

"That's how capturing is done," Garnet explained. "He has to be conscious for it to work, though."

"Hmm." She turned back and used another Rapid Spin.

Then the attraction seemed to wear off. The Absol, looking worn, huffed and got a serious look on his face. Maybe he'd expected a quick and easy win against Jessu.

Polaris took an empty Pokeball out of his bag. The first one he grabbed was the white Premier Ball he had gotten as a bonus way back when he'd started out. "Hold your ground, Varia," he instructed his Pokemon. Then he looked to the Absol. "I'd like you to join our team, if you wish." The he activated the ball and threw it.

Changing his stance, it seemed for a minute that the Absol was bowing. Whatever it was, the white light from the Premier Ball absorbed him. It hit the ground, rolled shakily for a bit, then clicked as it sealed to the Absol. Polaris had made his first actual capture of a Pokemon.

For a moment, he didn't quite believe it. He walked over and picked up the white ball. The status screen was lit up, proving that the Absol was indeed his now. Feeling a rush of giddiness, he smiled. "Wow. That was miles easier than that fight with the Glazicle."

"Wooo!" Picasso called for him, jumping in the air.

"If you're determined enough, you can break out of any Pokeball before it secures you," Garnet told the three maidens. "I've seen it happen. But I guess he wanted to come with us."

Polaris healed his new Pokemon, then brought him out to introduce him to the rest. Then they worked at training the rest of the day. In this, Polaris' focus had shifted away from his own skills to observing the Absol. He seemed to be a serious Pokemon like Lethe. At one point, Garnet translated him muttering about how even having one translator on a team was promoting unnecessary benefits.

"I'm not quite sure what to nickname you," he said that evening, as they sat around a campfire. He was taking care of grooming matters, something that took over an hour now with six Pokemon on his team. He used the brush he used for Picasso on the Absol, but discovered that he would want a specific long-hair brush later on. Luckily, he didn't find any fur mats, which was a promising sign that this Pokemon wouldn't have higher grooming demands than usual. "But I'm sure I'll come up with something appropriate after observing you for a few days."

The five Pokemon talked amongst each other. Occasionally, Garnet let Polaris in on what the others were chatting about. The Absol, who gave no name for himself, had decided that he wanted to go with a Trainer and become stronger. It hadn't been taken well among his group, because they mostly preferred to keep away from humans. While they felt compelled to warn others of the dangers they sensed, they knew there was distrust from superstitions hanging over their kind. But even his family's disapproval wasn't going to stop his quest of becoming a powerful Pokemon.

However, an argument eventually broke out. The Absol knew of the Arkahn traditions, but didn't feel like a master among his kind would be good for him. In fact, he thought that process was slower and it was better to follow the Kanto tradition, where everyone grew stronger quickly. The three maidens, of which this was their whole life, strongly disagreed with that. And while Picasso had lived through the Kanto tradition most of his life, he seemed to be on the side of the Arkahn tradition being a good option.

It ended quite abruptly as Lethe said, 'You would dare offer a fight over a discussion, with your teammates? That is dishonorable.'

"Let's not actually fight with each other," Polaris said, putting his hand on the Absol's shoulder to hold him back.

He sniffed defiantly and retreated to his Pokeball.

It didn't improve any over the following days.

* * *

March 22nd, year 59

There was a steady wind, but the Keisen Gym was still open. Leroy still wore his hat, with the brim wavering often. Nodding, he said, "Welcome back. Is your Smeargle doing okay?"

Feeling impressed that he had remembered that and thought to ask before restarting, Polaris nodded. "Yeah, he didn't take any permanent harm."

"Good. Then I suppose you're ready to go. Let's see how you really are in battle."

They started off the same, with Jessu the Kuni and a Tangela. This time, though, Polaris had his Pokemon use Air Slash immediately. This knocked out the Tangela before it could set itself up with Ingrain. Nodding, Leroy sent out his next Pokemon, a Rosamone.

Thinking quickly, he sent out his own Rosamone. "Varia, bite her," he ordered.

"Go with seeding," Leroy suggested.

Varia scuttled over on her tentacles and struck her peer with Poison Fang. In the meantime, the other Rosamone attached Leech Seeds to her. "Stop her before taking care of yourself," Polaris called. She responded with Stun Pollen. While the other was paralyzed, she spun around to throw the seeds off herself, then sunk some roots into the ground to secure and heal herself. Then she got off another Poison Fang as Leroy had his Rosamone healed of paralysis, then had her Ingrain before using Vine Whip repeatedly.

As both were quite defensive and those attacks relatively weak, it could have taken a long time. However, Varia had the advantage of using a Poison type attack which, once her peer got poisoned, made it easy to finish her off first.

Leroy then brought out a small Roselia. Polaris felt nervous; he couldn't swap out Varia until she fainted because of Ingrain. And even in a Grass Gym, it could have a Poison attack to turn the advantage against him. But no. He had to trust in them. "Drain attacks," he told her.

"Set out," Leroy stated, causing his Roselia throw out small spikes. Probably poisonous spikes, he thought.

Obediently, Varia used Giga Drain to attack the rose Pokemon. Then she turned and glanced at Polaris, twirling some of her longer tentacles around. Guessing at what she was suggested, he nodded. "Go for it."

The Rosamone turned a bit more, then whipped around quick enough to count for a Rapid Spin even though she was rooted to the spot. While it didn't cause much damage, it was enough to trip up the Roselia. And the spinning energy flung the spikes away, safely out of reach from any of her teammates if they had to come out. Then she went back to Giga Drain.

It took several rounds, in which the Roselia used several Grass typed attacks to hit her. But Varia managed to succeed, still standing even though there were a number of small cuts across her bud and body. A flicker of white energy appeared around her briefly. As it vanished, she braced herself for her next opponent.

In a second, Leroy had a Tangrowth out. It was a monstrous looking Pokemon made of a mound of thick vines. It snapped a vine out, ripping out a few of a Varia's roots and knocking her out. In response, Polaris brought the Absol out. One strong strike of his head scythe later, the Tangrowth was out of the battle.

"Well, I reckon you win this round." Leroy gave him an approving nod as he handed over a green box. "Good work, young man. Now, if you don't mind, would you revive your Rosamone and bring her out?"

"Oh, um, sure. Hang on." He dug a Revive cartridge with the sprayer out of his bag, then hooked it up to her Pokeball. Once she was conscious, he released her."I think the Leader wants to meet with you."

"Coo?" she asked, but then was surrounded by a white light. It grew and when it passed, she had evolved into a Scyllamone. Her main body was larger with longer tentacles, but her bud part had changed the most. Instead of a rosebud-like growth, there was what appeared to be the torso of a young woman in a tight-fitting swimsuit there. However, she was entirely too pale to be real and her face was featureless. Her single real eye sat between the collarbones like a strange gem on a necklace. Varia put her now delicate hands to her pink false hair and giggled girlishly.

"She's a right nice specimen of her kind," Leroy stated, patting her head. "But I warn ya, you got to be real mindful around them. She'll get even more flirty with you, but there's nothing much real behind it. You know you have their friendship and loyalty when a Scyllamone doesn't flirt with you."

"Ti sha," Varia said dismissively.

"All right, thanks," Polaris said.

As he left the prairie Gym with his Pokemon, he opened up the box to see what the rewards were. A four thousand Poke promissory note, a TM, and the badge. It was shaped like a rectangle with a grassy field on the bottom and an open sky on the top. He put it in his badge box, then considered where he could go to train with his Pokemon.

* * *

March 25th, year 59

On one visit to the Pokecenter, the Absol called himself out and looked at Polaris. He grumbled for a bit. "He says that he doesn't want to be part of the team," Garnet translated. "But he wants to battle and grow stronger."

Polaris would have liked to work things out. But then, things had been tense among the Pokemon and none of them showed any signs of wanting to compromise. It wasn't good of him to force them to work together when their beliefs went against each other. "If that's what you want, all right. Let's go up to the trading stations."

"Phhh," the Absol stated and followed Polaris up the stairs. His voice was never loud and he didn't make many sounds. But even without being vocal, his posture often gave away his thoughts.

Looking back, Polaris said, "If I trade you without naming you, you'll never get an official name, though. But you seem like you should be called Will, because yours is very strong."

"Heff." The look in his eyes seemed to show approval of the name, so Polaris flipped open his computer and entered that name into the PTDA file.

The trading station was empty, save for a young teenager sitting at the desk doing a crossword puzzle. He glanced at Polaris, then said, "Afternoon. If you need any help, just call for me." He then went back to his crossword.

"All right," Polaris said, taken aback by his distant attitude. He sat down at one of the computers and logged in with his ID card. "I worked at one of these stations for a bit," he said quietly as Will came up to sit by him. "So I should be able to run this without problem."

He scanned the Pokeball and checked over the information it gave: Will, male Absol, wild-caught (Jade Grasslands, Jasper region), 3 years old, Ability: Super Luck, estimated respect rating: 3 badges. With that confirmed, he first searched for requests on the GTS that would be looking for a Pokemon like this. He wasn't sure what to request, and trades would be posted for one week before you had to retrieve the offered Pokemon. If you didn't reclaim the Pokemon, a fine would be charged to your account. And those fines could get steep.

Fortunately, he found several trades looking for an Absol. Most were for distant regions, but one was from the Sea of Jasper. The Trainer ID number looked familiar, so he put it into his armband computer. "Hey, this is Diego. I know him."

Will gave him a curious look.

"He's younger than me, but a talented Trainer. I think he has a good chance of becoming Champion in November. He could definitely make you a strong battler."

He nodded. That was what he wanted.

"I'm sure he'll treat you well." He patted Will. "I hope things work out. I'm glad to have met you. Good bye."

Will huffed. "Hess feh rah ne kai, tho feh nai," he said, perhaps the longest thing he'd voiced.

"He said you're too sentimental to really be strong," Garnet said. "But if you really want to know about the Dark type, there's the Midnight Shrine outside of Jade Castle Town."

"Well, I hope that's not it," Polaris replied, "but thank you for the tip." He recalled Will, then placed the Premier Ball in a transfer machine. He made the offer to Diego. Now he had to wait until it was accepted.

Then he took a look at the Pokemon Diego was offering and felt surprised. It was a Glasink. Checking into its profile, he read the info about it. Icewin, male Glasink, wild-caught (St. Rosaline Port), 37 years old, Ability: Ice Heal, estimated respect rating: 4 badges.

He smiled. "Well what do you know? It's that Glasink I failed to catch. I hope he's more accepting now."

Noticing that his computer indicated that Diego was available to talk to, Polaris entered a chat with him.

Polaris: Hi Diego. How's it going?

Diego: Hey there Polaris. It's going great over here, except Eve's mad at me.

Polaris: For trading the Glasink, right?

Diego: Right. How'd you know?

Polaris: I just offered you an Absol.

Diego: Really? Sweet. I'll go check on that.

Polaris: Why are you trading him? This Absol I caught really isn't getting along with my Pokemon, but he's determined to get strong.

Diego: That's a good reason. So I have eight badges now.

Polaris: Congratulations.

Diego: Thanks. Anyhow, I need to pare down my team and figure out which six I want to use at Horizon Island. As you know, you can't swap once you enter the competition.

Polaris: Right, you have to have your final team immediately.

Diego: I am definitely taking my Salamence. He might be traded, but I did a lot of work to get him to where he is. But I don't need two Dragons on my team; I'm no Dragon Tamer, after all.

Polaris: I guess that makes sense.

Diego: Trust me, I tried to get into the Dragon Tamers Clan. Didn't work out. They told me that I didn't meet their expectations, but I've got a hunch that they know I work with Professor Arboreal and they don't want the evolution method for getting a Glasyrm out.

Polaris: That's awful selfish of them.

Diego: Right. But Yvette has tried plenty of ways to get a Glasink to evolve. It's not age, power, or loyalty. Evolutions Stones don't affect anything. It might be an item, but then that'll take a lot of trial and error to figure out what.

Polaris: I'll keep an eye on his growth then.

Diego: Good. I'll let Eve and Yvette know that you've got him. If anything happens, let 'em know. So how're you doing on your challenge?

Polaris: I've got four badges now, with the Normal and the Grass. Since I'm getting Icewin, I might try the Dragon Gym next.

Diego: Good luck with that. I'll get upstairs and finish up that trade. Talk to you later.

Polaris: Right, later.

In a few minutes, the trade computer gave him an alert that his trade had been accepted. The transport machine then spit out a black and yellow Ultra Ball. He made sure the trade logged in his PTDA, then logged out of the trade system. Then he took the Ultra Ball and released Icewin.

The Ice type now stood to his chest, with a fuller pale blue coat and a fluffier tail. On his forehead, there was a circular mirror set in his skin. Icewin looked at him, then clicked. "Feh za," he said quietly.

"Yes, it's me," Polaris said. Taking his Badge Box, he showed the Glasink his four badges. "I've come quite a long ways, though. I hope you'll accept me this time."

Icewin raised his eyebrows, then shrugged and dropped down to the ground. He wasn't going to give a positive or negative judgment now. Just indifference.

"I hope you're not too affected by religious discussion among Pokemon," Polaris said, then got up to leave.

The teenaged attendant gave him a weird look, then mechanically waved. "Thanks for using our services. I hope your new Pokemon serves you well."

Polaris sighed as he walked downstairs. "Must it be 'serves you well'? I never liked that, even back then."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Glasink

Glazicle - **Glasink** \- Glasyrm

The Glacial Ruler Pokemon

Type: Ice

Ability: Ice Build

Description: Glasink is pretty much a larger and more elegant Glazicle. It stands almost four feet tall and has the same basic body shape. However, its powder blue fur has grown longer, giving it a fluffier appearance. The cobalt glass hairs are more prominent, making it much glossier. Its tail is plumper and a foot long; a short ways from the end of the tail, a ring of glass hairs grow out like a collar. Also, on its forehead, there is now a small round mirror, rather like Meowth's coin.

Notes: Glasink have a more varied moveset than Glazicle, but it tends to stay within the Ice and Water types, with a few Normal moves added on. They generally have an attitude, the degree of which differs between individuals. They remain slow-growing, so it will take more training to keep a Glasink up to a team's average level. (S. Gracehaven)

Key search: Scyllamone

Llythmone - Rosamone - **Scyllamone**

The Sweet Anemone Pokemon

Type: Water/Grass

Ability: Cute Charm

Description: This Pokemon comes dangerously close to being scandalous, but anyhow… it has an upper body that is almost hominoid, except that the face has no eyes, no mouth, and only the suggestion of a nose. The real eye of this creature lies near the collarbone, like a necklace. It has thick fronds for hair in coral pink and a torso of a female in porcelain white. On the torso, there is a vivid orange 'breastplate' which connects to the lower body. The lower body is a circular mound with three feet pads which can secure it to a surface. Tall anemone fronds, even taller than the female torso, grow upwards on the sides and behind the upper body. These fronds are still white.

That is its resting position. It can 'flip' the mound around to use the fronds as a propelling agent for swimming, like a squid. This is an all-female species.

Notes: Scyllamone will flirt with any males around them, whether Pokemon or human, but it means something quite different to them. They like the attention of men and will often try to trick one into the water, even more so if their target is land-based. Trainers should do their best to temper this behavior; it can't be stopped entirely, but the Scyllamone can be trained to be better mannered. When using one in battle, know that it will take her longer to defeat an opponent, but that it will also take the opponent longer to take her out. (M. Sheriden)

Key Search: Aracholf

Arolf - **Aracholf**

The Wolf Spider Pokemon

Type: Normal/Bug

Ability: Keen Eye

Description: Aracholf is twenty-five inches long with a husky body. Its fur is black, marked with silver stripes going down its thorax. Triangular tufts, resembling canine ears, grow out of its head and it has a canine-like jaw structure. Its back legs are comparable with Ariados', but its front pair are highly 'muscled' with clamping pincers.

Notes: Aracholf make great home guard Pokemon, as their intimidating look often gives would-be-thieves second thoughts. They do well around children they are familiar with, and will relax around strangers if their Trainer is relaxed. But since they do run on instincts more than other Pokemon, a Trainer must be careful not to leave an Aracholf unsupervised for long. They will fight fiercely if driven to it. (J. Short)


	17. The Way of the Artist

April 3rd, year 59

Polaris walked along the docks of the tiny port community of Rauto. The only ferry today was one going northwest to St. Rosaline, but smaller boats were generally willing to take a few passengers to earn some extra money. So far, no one seemed to be headed out to where he wanted to go, the port nearest Jade Palace. The palace was deep in the forested area of the northeast Jasper region, but travel there from Rosaline would take a week on foot. His chosen destination, Port Mido, was only three days travel from Jade Palace.

There was one boat that looked promising, though. A sailboat bearing the mark of Misaillo was docked at the southern most point of the pier. On one of the nearby posts was a flag indicating that they were accepting passengers. He waved over to one of them. "Excuse me, but are you headed north, towards Port Mido?"

The Arkahn sailor nodded. "Sure enough. You looking for a ride? We can't take many."

"Yes, thank you. It's just me and my Pokemon."

"Leave them in their Pokeballs, if you don't mind. We've got work to do on the way."

He nodded. "Sure, I understand."

On the way, he drew sketches of Misaillo, trying to find the best way to draw a picture of her as he had of Zepharia and Hu-kyo. It passed the time and kept his mind working. After some time, maybe an hour past Lia Saia, he glanced towards the southern shore in thought and saw something he didn't expect. He saw a city that he hadn't known was around here.

It was one of the old Arkahn cities; he could tell by the construction of clay bricks and stones. However, this city was far grander than Lia Saia or Deidre. There was a palace here, with a large domed roof covered in deep red stones. It stood over the rest of the city like a jeweled box among plain. The buildings were dense, some quite tall. Besieged by the Amarillo Desert, it seemed improbable as a place to live.

One of the sailors came over to him. "You doing all right?"

"Yes, thank you. What is that place?"

"That's the Royal City of Jesrin. Arkahn kings used to rule this region and far more from this place."

Royal city? It must be important, but then, "Why isn't it on any of the maps of the region?"

"It was abandoned for centuries, but in the past decade, people have returned. It's for the good of our people that we've returned, away from outsiders like yourself."

The exchange made him uncomfortable, although he wasn't fully frightened until the sailor brought the blade of a cutlass-type sword to his throat.

"You will cooperate with us," he said. "Or we will kill you. And don't think of sending your slaves out to meet us. We know they will do nothing."

True. In most cases, tamed Pokemon did not attack humans. But many would if loyal to their Trainer in a dangerous situation. However, he didn't feel confident enough to try immediately. "O-okay."

They docked at Jesrin and blindfolded him. After tying him up and putting a gag over his mouth, they put him into some cart to move somewhere. He could hear other people around. It didn't sound like they were aware of what was in the cart moving by them. Was this a small group of extremists?

After thirty minutes of traveling old roads, they stopped and brought him into one of the buildings. Up three flights of stairs, in and around some rooms, and then he was released from his bounds. Oddly enough, they had brought his backpack in and let him keep his Pokemon. Why? Maybe they weren't experienced. At any rate, the room looked fairly secure. There were no windows, only one door, and sound absorbing tiles.

"Nobody will know that you're here, so don't bother screaming," one of the sailors told him. "We will use you to make the voices of Desolaire's people heard."

At hearing the name, he felt an odd reassurance. "I think you've made a mistake in choosing me." He touched one of his Pokeballs.

"We fight as well as the Pokemon, so do not bother," the man replied.

"No, I want you to meet the shrine maiden Lethe." He released the red and gold Katisp.

As he expected, she saw that he was in danger and clasped her katana's handle. 'You fools,' she broadcast to all in the room. 'Do not harm the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium!' She moved into an attacking poise.

There were four of them. However, they all jumped back on seeing the angry Katisp. "Th-the apprentice?" one asked.

"You've got to be joking," another added, although he seemed uncertain.

Lethe moved her hand through the air, making the symbol of Misaillo appear. 'I do not joke.'

Three of them looked to their apparent leader, whose face was pale. He stepped back. "Well then… excuse us." He then bolted from the room, followed by the others.

'I can be strong,' Lethe asserted, turning to him. 'I am sorry you saw me in a time of weakness on the day we met.'

He nearly said she didn't have to apologize, but then felt that she would see that as a slight. "I accept your apology," he told her. "Let's see what the situation is."

She seemed pleased with that and started out to search. It was a small apartment and hadn't been inhabited for very long. On a table, there was a pamphlet from someone calling himself the Prophet of Desolaire. He was due to give a speech in a few days here in Jesrin. Apparently, many Arkahn were expected to show up.

'We shouldn't stay in this place for long,' Lethe stated after clearing the apartment as safe. 'This city is where a demon was born.'

"Is it? But then why would this prophet want to give a speech here?"

'He is one of the false ones, most likely.'

"Would it be all right to stay and see?" He felt a strong curiosity about this situation; otherwise, he would have agreed to leave this place.

'Hmm.' She considered it. 'I discovered some clothing in one of the dressers. Perhaps one could fit you enough to disguise your foreign descent. If we can find a way to protect you before mid-afternoon, I will agree to stay for this speech.'

He wasn't sure what the kidnappers were fully planning, but he found a set of clothes that fit him. It wasn't perfectly authentic. He found an off-white cloak, but had to use one of his own white shirts and tan canvas pants. In a closet, Lethe found some tan boots, but they didn't fit. He'd have to go with his white sneakers until he could buy some more appropriate gear. In another dresser, he found the traditional headgear and a plain tan scarf. If he tied his hair up right, he could hide it.

On looking in the mirror, he could see one problem with his disguise; his eyebrows were light-colored. Arkahn people had dark hair. Anything else, he might be able to pass off as him being half-blooded. But he remembered some tricks from the Contest Hall and could use his charcoal to darken his eyebrows.

He looked over his five Pokemon then. "I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you three girls out around here," he said. "They might recognize who you are."

'We know,' Lethe said, with nods from Jessu and Varia. 'You could keep Picasso out with you, provided you treated him as your master. In that case, you'll have to put his Pokeball away and leave him out the entire time. But you would have some protection.'

"That sounds good." He looked down at the Smeargle. "You aren't going to abuse this situation, right?"

"Ni." He crossed his arm over his chest and shook his head.

"And you'd have to stay out of this," he told Icewin.

The Glasink gave a shrug of indifference.

'We'd best tell you both about some general expectations of the Arkahn warriors before we go,' Lethe said.

* * *

The liveliest section of Jesrin was the open air market on the street leading up to the palace. The sun was bright and the air was dry, but the outfit Polaris wore helped to keep him comfortable. All around them, there were brightly colored tents over displays of ethnic goods, much of it unknown to him. The people were happy and spirited, probably ignorant of what the Shrine Maidens remembered of this place. Some of the buildings were in rough shape, but a good number of them had been restored. Were people actually living here?

Picasso took Polaris' hand so they didn't get separated in the crowd. With some creative fabric folding, he had his own headgear to hide his distinctive ear. After seeing some similar Pokemon dressed up, Polaris felt assured that it would work out.

"Rini," the Smeargle said, tugging at him. He pointed to a nearby opening to an alleyway, then down the market street.

"Oh, right, that would be nice," he replied, then went over to the open area to pull out his sketchbook. They and the maidens had decided this was the best way to affirm the image they were looking to project. Every now and then, Picasso was to point something out for Polaris to draw.

He put his backpack down to pull out his sketch book and pencils. He also pulled out Picasso's set for him to work with. Then they drew for a while. Although they got curious glances every now and then, the crowd mostly ignored them.

As Picasso tapped his shoulder to end the session, the leaf pendant glowed. "Hey," Garnet said in a hushed voice. "There's something around here that seems potent, like the energy around the Shrines."

Polaris clasped the pendant. "Where?"

"The light blue tent down there. I think you'll feel it when you get closer."

"Ei dah," Picasso said, pointing it out.

"Right." He took his Pokemon's hand and they walked down there.

The sign on the tent said this was the 'House of St. Jessefin'. There was one customer glancing over the charms and crafts on the table, as compared to other stalls that had a dozen. Two teenaged girls sat at the table, chatting with each other. They each wore a symbol, apparently of their group: a half sun half-moon pendant on a necklace chain. Just behind the display was the thing that had attracted Garnet's attention. It was a painted scroll of Mew.

Although the hieroglyphs didn't mean anything to him, something about the painting told him that it was a blessing of life and love. Mew seemed lively on the scroll; like the statue of Desolaire in Deidre, it seemed like the small feline Pokemon would fly off the scroll. Maybe this was here for protection. However, the scroll itself seemed in need of help. It was thin and faded. Efforts had been made to check fraying, but wouldn't last forever. A plastic bag, like what would be used at a dry cleaner, was placed around the scroll to preserve it.

As the other customer moved on, Polaris and Picasso stepped up. "Excuse me," he said with a smile. "We wanted to get a better look at your scroll."

"You like it?' one of the girls said. "It's very old, but precious to our group."

Picasso whistled. "Er ti sa sedu ke reh tha."

"That's a lot, coming from you," Polaris teased. Making his best guess as to what the Smeargle had said, he added, "He says you don't find true craftsmanship like that around much."

The girls giggled. "Why thank you, master Smeargle," one said.

"It's a protection scroll," the other added. "Other people have said that we can just buy a new screen print, which will look much nicer. But those prints aren't as good. They don't hold the same kind of protection that one like this one does."

"It's because the artist of this scroll put into it his or her adoration of Mew," Polaris mused. "The prints are done without feeling, while this one had great feeling." Thinking quickly, he glanced down. "That's right, Master, isn't it?"

Picasso nodded.

"That's what the Head of the House says too."

"Did you know that Mew is the only legendary Pokemon that has appeared to all cultures in the world?" the taller of the two girls said, leaning forward in enthusiasm. "The others vary from place to place. Some legends only appear in one culture, like Desolaire and her clan. Some appear in regions far apart; they say that Rayquaza rests atop six tall towers in the world, but cultures not in those regions have no idea who the sky dragon is. But everyone knows about Mew."

"I hadn't heard of that," Polaris said. "What does your group do? Sorry for my ignorance, but I returned to my father's homeland; I grew up elsewhere."

"At least you came back," the taller girl said. "Lots of folks our age leave this area."

"St. Jessefin ran an orphanage centuries ago when most people just put orphans to hard work in the fields," the other explained. "She was born a princess, but gave up her title, comfortable life, and riches in order to take care of poor children. When she died, a number of holy women continued her work, right up to this day. We teach children according to the morals of religion so they may live lives of kindness, faith, and spiritual prosperity."

"That's great."

"But our orphanage needs major renovations in order to meet the standards set by the Child Services board," she went on. "You can help by buying some of our things."

"I was thinking of that," he said. A quick look over the table brought one thing to his attention.

It was a pair of tassels tied together at the top. One held red ribbons down to a one-inch glass marble. The marble had gold flecks in it. A gold base shaped like an hourglass connected it to the main tassel, mostly of bright red threads with a few gold scattered about. As a twin to the other, the darker one had a marble with silver flecks and a tassel of extremely dark blue and silver. Like the scroll, it felt like something to protect the holder. Polaris was almost certain that Lethe would approve of this charm.

He picked out one of the tassels. "What's this for?'

"It's a traveler's charm that wards off misfortune," the shorter girl explained. "They say that Desolaire and Lunarium look like that sometimes. It's twenty dollars."

That might have been a bit much, but the marbles showed signs of being handcrafted. The whole thing appeared handcrafted. And it was for a charity group. "All right, I'll take this." He brought out a twenty dollar bill and gave it to them.

"Thanks. Anything else we can help with?"

"Not really, unless you can point out a good shoemaker."

They laughed. "Shoes a bit worn from travel?"

"Actually, there's a guy from our hometown around here that does really nice work. Archie, he's in that storefront under the red and white striped roof for the week. If you're going to be traditional out of respect, you might as well get your boots from a true tradesman."

"Oh really?" He glanced down the street and spotted the particular store. "Thanks for the advice. Have a good day."

"You too," they called back as Picasso waved.

* * *

The knee high boots would take some getting used to, Polaris thought, but they were comfortable. The shoemaker they had sent him to was really good. He took multiple measurements of his customers' feet before recommending a particular type. But they did help him blend, or at least look like the more traditional minded people walking around the market.

After spending the morning getting fitted for the boots and waiting on them to be made, he checked with Lethe about the traveler's charm. She seemed satisfied with that and had him attach the tassels to his backpack. Then there was the question of what to do until the speech in two days.

Walking along the marketplace with Picasso, he spotted a booth selling art supplies. There were a fair number of customers here, discussing some hand-engraved prints and calligraphy tools. Polaris spotted a few white handled brushes that looked similar to his glass brush, save for the enchanted glass bristles. However, something else was more intriguing. There was a traditionally made wall scroll, blank, close to a display of locally made paints.

They were priced slightly higher than comparable canvas and modern paints. But it wasn't enough to deter his interest and inspiration. Kneeling down to speak with Picasso, he said, "I actually painted traditionally styled Arkahn scrolls a few times. The process fascinated me. If I really focus on the project, I might be able to make a copy of the Mew scroll before the speech."

The Smeargle clapped his hands together, with excited eyes. "Te sha!"

"I think I will." He got up and negotiated with the dealer for the blank scroll and a set of the local paints.

Then he went back to the House of St. Jessefin booth and made his offer. "You really think you can make a copy of this?"

Polaris nodded. "I'm sure I can. That way, you can have a copy to display while you keep that one in a safer container for preservation. It looks a little too frail for a full restoration."

"That would be nice," the taller one said. "But I'm not sure we could afford such a thing."

"It's no problem; I won't charge you for it. Picasso here is considering it one of my tests."

"Sho fi de," he commented.

"I will," he replied, patting his shoulder and guessing that he meant, 'You'd better do well.'

"If you want, that would be wonderful," the shorter girl said. "We've got an extra table and some space we didn't need."

He put the table flat against the ground instead of folding its legs out. It was awkward to lean over the table for this kind of work and he didn't have a suitable wall surface to work with. For the time being, this had to do. He went into the booth to make a reference in his sketchbook. The two girls, Shana and Jessie, were able to decipher the hieroglyphs for him and make certain that his form was correct.

The scroll said, 'Give many blessings to the children, for they are a blessing to you. Take in any lost child, for they deserve the blessing of love. And always, listen to your heart and the words of children.'

He then spent the rest of that day sketching the drawing of Mew. He wanted to know the way the drawing felt to him before he painted. Once he had it, he lightly penciled in the hieroglyph text and drawing on the scroll.

A third member of the Jessefin group brought them dinner; Shana and Jessie must have sent word to them, for they brought enough for him and Picasso and invited the two of them to stay at the inn they were at. "Obviously, you'll have to be in a separate area of the house," the older woman said teasingly. "Our girls hold tight to their virtues."

"I understand," he said. "Would you tell my girlfriend about that?"

That made them laugh. Shana grinned at them. "You have a girlfriend? Who is she? What's she like?"

He smiled back. "Her name is Megan. She runs a diner in St. Rosaline, so she couldn't come with me on my travels. But we keep in touch through email and such."

* * *

Dear Megan,

I encountered some trouble and wasn't able to make Jade Palace. I'm fine right now, so don't worry. I'm in the Royal City of Jesrin; ever heard of it? It was apparently an old capitol of the Arkahn empire. There's an impressive palace here, but they won't let anyone inside right now.

And I'm staying with a group of nuns. Or rather, the House of St. Jessefin. I think you've mentioned them before. I'm doing a commission for them, of sorts. It won't pay anything, but I don't mind.

Anyhow, there's someone saying that he's a Prophet of Desolaire and he's going to make a speech in two days. I've decided to stay. Lethe the Katisp was worried about staying here. She says it's the birthplace of a demon and it doesn't feel right. But she's calmed down some because we're with this group. And I apparently pass fairly well for a half-blooded Arkahn, even though I'm sure there's not a drop of that blood in my family. The attached file is a picture of my disguise.

Love you,

Polaris

* * *

April 4th, year 59

The second day, Polaris spent painting the scroll. The paints were different than the modern ones he normally used. They weren't as uniform, they had different scents from the materials used for the colors, and they had to be used within days of being made or unsealed. However, he liked the change of texture and technique.

First a baseline coat of white on the areas to be painted, black for the hieroglyphs. Then the image had to be built up. The hieroglyphs were simple enough in being uniform, but the picture had to be made delicately and carefully. It had to look alive. He spent a lot of time on the Pokemon.

While he worked, Picasso hovered nearby, watching. He didn't make his own comments, as he was supposed to be giving a test of Polaris' skills. He did shoo away people who tried to get in too close or disturb him.

There were people who stopped to watch him work. A different pair of the nuns were working at the booth today; they explained what he was doing in his stead. So long as they didn't get close enough to bother Polaris, Picasso let the bystanders stand and watch for a while. The few times Polaris paused for a drink or a snack, people commented that they were impressed that he would work in the traditional method with traditional materials. He assured them that it was worth the effort.

At the end of the day, the group of ten from Jessefin came over to see how he was doing. "Well I'm pretty much done," he told them. "It needs to sit out here and dry overnight, then I need to seal it later on tomorrow. It's good that it got finished, because I've used up just about all of this paint. But that's it."

"It's not exactly the same, cause you have Mew a little different," Shana said. "But it's beautiful."

* * *

April 5th, year 59

As Polaris was walking up to the House of St. Jessefin booth on the third day, he heard a woman's scream. He moved a bit quicker to reach Sera, who looked pale and shaky near the booth. And for good reason. Next to it, near his copied scroll, there was a strange beast lying in the street. It was completely black, covered in spines, and muscular. But the four-legged thing (he was hesitant to call it a Pokemon for some reason) was completely still.

"What is that?" he asked. Several others gathering around wondered the same.

"That is a demon," an oddly familiar voice said. When Polaris turned, he saw the Lia Saia Gym Leader Nevin approaching. He went right up to the beast and knelt by it. "Dead, but a true demon."

"In this city?" Sera asked in shock. "I thought they stayed away from large crowds of people."

"Most of the time." Nevin glanced around, then stepped by the scroll on the ground. "What is this doing here?"

"Oh, Polaris here was painting this for us yesterday," the holy woman explained. "He made it as a display copy so we can store the real scroll."

Nevin looked over it, then said, "There's no need to call it just a display copy. It's an authentic protection scroll."

"Why would you call it that?" Polaris said. "I made it as a copy of that one."

"It's powerful enough to kill a demon. It's authentic. I'll take care of this body. The scroll should be fine." He lifted the dead demon and carried it out as if it were nothing more than a large bag of flour.

Polaris went over to check it anyhow. There wasn't a bit of dirt on it, although a scorch line on the table held evidence of the scroll's ability. Art could do this? People always said that great paintings came to life, but that was just figurative talk.

As he checked, Jessu came out of her Pokeball. "Mew!"

Startled, he stepped back. "Jessu," he said quietly. "You're not supposed to be out."

She said something, then went down to Picasso. "She says that word will likely spread of the demon's death," Garnet whispered. "So you'll need to stop the act that he's your master. She came out to tell him what to do, once you finish sealing the scroll."

"Okay."

Still following tradition, he painted a light layer of sealing oil over the scroll. He flipped the table legs out today, for he had to duck down and watch the glint of light. He wanted to make sure he coated the entire painting, without overcoating. That would make it look dull.

Once he was done, he covered the new scroll with the plastic bag of the old one, while the sisters carefully rolled up the original for storage. He then hung it up for them. "It should be dry by mid-afternoon in this weather," he told them. "So you'll be able to take it back with you."

"Thank you so much, again," Sera said. "You've done a marvelous job. I didn't think there was anyone who could make this kind of thing anymore."

"I wasn't sure if the old superstitions were true, but they must be," he replied.

Picasso tugged at his hand, so he dropped down to listen to him. He spoke in a rapid low voice for a minute, then bonked his head against Polaris'. While he wasn't expecting that last action, Polaris knew what he meant to say from Jessu. It was the acceptance of his skills and the release of his apprenticeship, at least the act of it.

He smiled in reply while rubbing his forehead. "Thank you. I'm glad to have worked with you."

Picasso added something else. In a whisper, Garnet translated, "He says you have your art back, but you have to work even harder now that you do."

Chuckling, he shook the Smeargle's hand. "Yes, but I'm sure you'll still be my greatest critic."

Smiling back, he hopped over and tugged at his arm, pointing towards the palace. He wanted to explore the city some more before the speech. As Polaris got up, Sera clapped her hands. "Well congratulations. I suppose you're an artist-warrior now."

"I guess," he replied, scratching his head. "Good luck with your fund-raising."

"Good luck be with you."

* * *

April 5th, year 59

The palace gates were opened an hour before the scheduled start of the speech. People crowded in, but Polaris was not with them. With some help from Picasso, he had located an entrance to the guard towers along the palace walls. He sat in the watchtower, an onion-shaped room with on open space that allowed them to see a full view all around the palace.

As he had blocked the entrance to this tower again, he released the three Maidens and the Glasink. "This place should be pretty secure," he said. "We can hear anybody coming up the stairs. And when I looked up here from the ground, I couldn't tell that it had a full panorama."

'It is an ideal position,' Lethe said. 'I still don't like the feel of this place, even with our presence and the traveler's charm.'

"There is something creepy that I feel when I look at the palace," Polaris agreed. "I don't think that much energy would come from just a remnant of this ancient king."

'Not unless the demon is active here,' Lethe stated, then moved to a position where she could watch the stairs. 'What do you think, Garnet?'

"Huh?" she asked, setting off a red glow around the leaf pendant. "Why do you want to know that?"

'You're a spirit of a different kind than me. What do you feel about this place?'

"I don't like it," she said quietly. "Bad things happened here."

"To you?" Polaris asked, tapping the pendent.

"Um…" she sounded bashful and ashamed.

"It's okay, if you don't feel like talking about it here." He saw that Icewin had hopped onto the bench and was looking around. "Are you going to be okay in this desert environment?" he asked, petting Icewin's fur. It was soft, yet subtly cold.

He made a series of clicks, which Garnet translated as, "It'll help my endurance to stick out this heat and dryness."

"I guess it would," Polaris replied. "Well don't push yourself to the point of getting sick."

Turning to face him, the Glasink made another comment. "He says that you talk to us Pokemon more than Diego or Stan did," Garnet said. "And you bring us out for no reason other than company."

"Why shouldn't I talk to you and be friendly?" Polaris asked. "I'm asking you to fight for me in the Gyms, and elsewhere, so it's only right that I respect all of you."

Icewin twitched his ears and made an almost chuckling sound. Then he went back to watching the crowd. Maybe they found his evolution was not linked to happiness or loyalty, but it was worth working to increase that.

Trying to dispel his own nervousness, Polaris sketched the crowd coming into the palace. The tablet was lying nearby, in case they would need to use teleport to get away quickly. A group of men in the traditional outfits stood around on a platform on the palace stairs.

On the hour, one of the men came up to the microphone and introduced the Prophet of Desolaire, a man named Essen Solaris. Essen took over to applause from about half of the crowd, some enthusiastic, some just polite. He spoke about the noble past of the Arkahn people, how they knew secrets that the rest of the world was ignorant of. He spoke about the impurity of the outsiders and how they would ruin the Sea of Jasper.

Some of what he said Polaris could agree with, but other parts caused him worry. Would this man accept an outsider as an apprentice to Desolaire and Lunarium? Or even just awakening the six legendary Pokemon? And the reactions of the crowd, as varied as they were, made him feel a lot of pressure to continue until he could awaken the sky twin Pokemon. If he could do so, he would validate their whole way of life.

Lethe shifted position, readying herself. 'Who dares to come here?' she broadcast down the stairs.

As Polaris looked away from Essen, he heard a woman respond. "We are the Sun Knights, maiden of Misaillo. We came to find the true pilgrim. May we pass?"

"Sun Knights?" Polaris asked quietly.

'I've worked with the order before, but that was many centuries ago,' Lethe said, only to him. 'They keep order and peace among the tribes. One of their oldest traditions is guarding a pilgrim such as yourself in times of trouble. There's two of them, plus one Pokemon.'

"I suppose it's all right." He picked up the tablet and kept hold of it.

Lethe turned back to the stairs. 'Very well, but I will not tolerate any threat.' She drifted aside to let the Knights up.

And it turned out to be Nevin and an older woman with a Lunatone. They made introductions. The woman was Blair Cobb, the leader of the Sun Knights, with her apprentice (surprisingly) Kensha. Nevin was still on his own, presumably because it would be hard to have Kulula the Rhyperior around this crowded city.

"I had my suspicions when I saw your scroll this morning," Nevin explained. "While it is possible for an artist under a Smeargle master to create that powerful of an artifact, I had the feeling that you were masquerading then. And you fooled me with that disguise; I remember you and your one-eared Smeargle, but your story seemed flawless."

"Well there was a group that kidnapped me three days ago," he told them. "I think they were just looking for a random victim, as they were pretending to be sailors looking to take on a passenger or two. I got away with Lethe's help, but we decided to stick around for this speech, just to see what this guy is like. And I haven't spotted another outsider the whole time."

"There aren't any others," Blair said. "None the Sun Knights have spotted, at least."

"We'll need to know more about the kidnappers later," Nevin said, sitting on the ledge by him. Icewin gave him a curious look. "So what do you think of Prophet Essen?"

"Um," he looked back at the stage area. "Well he knows how to put on a show. If you listen to his speech pattern... not what he says, but the way he says it and how he uses his body language, he's a professional public speaker. Could even be one of those motivational people. As for what he's saying, I don't agree with much of what he's saying. Some of it has to do with my being an outsider in the first place. But it... it just doesn't feel right."

"You don't think Desolaire would agree?"

Were these Knights testing him? Possibly. Just tell the truth, he thought. If they knew who he was, no need to lie. "I don't know all that much about her, but I think I've felt her presence sometimes. Not clearly; she's still deep in slumber. She wouldn't be as negative as Essen's message is."

"Do you know why the six of them have been sleeping?" Blair asked.

"Hu-kyo told me that the succession of this tablet became a problem. People began to misunderstand it and set their own rules of succession, which Desolaire and Lunarium didn't agree with. And the in-fighting made them both despair, so Desolaire had their last true apprentice seal them all into slumber as a call for you to settle the arguments and realize your mistakes. But it didn't go as they hoped for. And the three I've woken said they have many things to do. I suppose with what's been going on lately, with demons appearing and such, they've decided they need to be active again."

"We suspected as much," Nevin replied. "The Sun Knights were originally formed to protect the Prophet. Yet, we have not agreed with Essen or his ancestors for a long time. And he would not like you holding the tablet or awakening the clan, no matter what you tried to say. We'll see to it that you get out of the city safely."

"Ah, thank you."

They watched the speech continue. Eventually, Essen got to a point where he said that he would ring the palace bells and awaken Desolaire herself.

"That can't be right," Polaris said.

"Desolaire wouldn't have rested here," Blair agreed, worried. "This was where the clan sealed a devil."

"Then won't ringing bells awaken it instead? Or does it not work that way?"

The two knights looked at each other. "We're not sure," Blair admitted. "We might want to leave now."

"But all the other people here..." he picked up the tablet and drew quickly. Once he had it done, he touched his hand to the tablet reverently. "Zepharia, as one skilled with music, is there any way you can keep the bells from ringing? Please help if you can."

The tablet glowed white, then turned sky blue. The picture vanished.

A short minute later, Essen turned to the palace and raised his arm. A golden sphere of energy burst from him. It was thinner near the top and denser at twelve points around the center. "I've seen that before," Polaris said. "It's a showy version of Hidden Power that comes up in Contests."

The crowd had hushed, waiting. But not a sound came from the palace bells. After a silent moment, Essen tried again. This time, there were the steady sound of drums, like beating wings. Zepharia flew over the wall and came up to the stage area. The crowd was impressed, but the group with Essen was confused.

Essen himself paled, to where even Polaris could see it. "M-master Zepharia? Why are you...?"

The crane lifted a foot and placed it over Essen's mouth. "Quiet, false prophet." While the crowd murmured, he pulled his foot back and went on. "You have nearly caused disaster to all who come here in faith. You should have known the danger."

"How can you call me a false prophet?" Essen asked in a hostile tone, but in his own defense. "You came to my call."

"I did not come for you. I came to the request of the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium. Did you come to me and prove your skill? No, I have never heard your voice at my Shrine. The apprentice showed great skill to me. Do you hear the words of Desolaire? No, for she is deep in slumber and cannot speak for that. The apprentice seems to have dreamed of her light and no more. You are not who you claim to be."

"But I have followed the traditions of my forefathers."

"Your forefathers were the reason we departed this world into sleep," Zepharia said, with a harsh strum of his tail. "But we awaken now because you have stirred the one we sealed here so long ago. If you have the honor you claim to have, you will depart from this place and spend the rest of your days in penance." The crane then turned to the crowd assembled. "And ye faithful ones, I advise you leave this city alone as well. Keep your hopes, for I believe in the pilgrim; Desolaire and Lunarium will awaken in the coming days. But also keep your patience. The demons now walk the land and will seek to harm you and your neighbors. Do not compromise anyone's safety, even those who are not part of your tribes." Then he took to the air and left, headed west.

"I would guess that you were headed back to Lia Saia and the Shrine of Power," Nevin said.

He shook his head. "No. Misaillo wants me to go to the Hall of Sorrow in Jade Palace. I will be going to the Shrine of Power after that."

"I have to get back to my Gym duties shortly," Nevin said.

"I'll see you to the northern palace," Blair offered.

* * *

Polaris had to go back to the inn to retrieve his laptop. There, the Sisters of St. Jessefin had gathered, also trying to leave because of Zepharia's warning. They were surprised to see Blair and talked to her respectfully. It seemed the Sun Knights were a very important organization even in this day.

They greeted him kindly as he came back with his laptop. On an impulse, he said, "Look, I'm sorry, but I've been in disguise this whole time. I'm not of Arkahn descent at all, and Picasso and I were just pretending to blend in."

Some of the girls seemed surprised, but the eldest woman patted his head. "It would be a necessary disguise in order to be here. But why would an outsider want to come to Jesrin for Essen's speech?"

"I was curious."

"And he's the apprentice," Blair added. She halted a few gasps by raising her hand. "But don't speak of this for the time being. He is in danger still from Essen's men, and it is because of him that we are not in immediate danger."


	18. Hall of Sorrow

April 9th, year 59

Jade Palace was a magnificent building, a jeweled box like the Jesrin Palace in the south. This one was full of greens, blues, and golds, though. Unlike Jesrin, Jade was known and a town to the south called Jade Forest City was inhabited. There was even a Gym there, but Polaris chose to ignore it in favor of confronting the Hall of Sorrow.

"This is a place the Sun Knights use as one of our trials," Blair told Polaris as they walked through the stone halls. "It is said to be one of the most difficult, but I find that it varies from person to person."

Polaris glanced out the windows, to the rustling trees that surrounded the palace. "What's in there?"

"An indescribable force that targets the human soul. It is not dangerous; I will know if it has failed you and bring you out so you don't suffer needlessly. But it is harsh, sparing no one. The stories say there was once a demon with that power, but a strong-willed hero defeated it. The essence that remained was sealed into the Hall of Sorrow, for use in the testing of the Sun Knights and the Moon Sages."

"Are the Moon Sages still around?"

"Yes, but they have even fewer members than we do." She stopped at a doorway guarded by three Bagons. "This young man is here to walk the Hall of Sorrow. He has been ordered to by our gods. Open the path."

The Pokemon complied. One pushed his shelled head against a lever that was nearby, causing the door to open slowly.

"Go forward," Blair said. "Don't let it drive you back. You should only return with proof that you have made it all the way inside."

"Okay." He entered the Hall of Sorrow.

It was an enclosed hall; only openings near the ceiling let light in. But there were mirrors along the walls, enhancing what light there was. Although few people must enter this place, the mirrors were oddly clean and polished. They had an eerie shine, as if the spirit trapped in this hall enhanced them.

He felt a cold presence that seemed all too familiar. It was like walking in the catacombs of Mount Pyre. Ghosts? Ghost Pokemon he could handle, but there were lost souls beyond those. They could be dangerous. His father had made a career out of neutralizing and banishing those lost souls.

When he looked into one of the mirrors, he saw something of the past.

… year 47

Polaris was in his room sketching Sienna. It was part of a Sudowoodo's natural behaviors to stand motionless for long periods of time. Because of that, his teacher had called them invaluable models for student artists. As he finished one sketch, he heard his parents talking out in the hallway.

"How's Clarissa doing?"

He put his pencil down and listened. Clarissa was his second older sister; she had left, like many other kids, near her tenth birthday to explore with her Pokemon. She came back home from time to time when there was a lull in Contests. She hadn't yet made it to Masters and the Lilycove Contest Hall.

"She's still struggling at the mid-rank. She's talking about giving up and coming back home to return to school."

"Well, it is tough out there. It's too bad."

Polaris felt a squirm of nervousness. Along with Clari, he had two other siblings. His oldest sister had tried the League and had not gotten far. His younger brother wasn't quite old enough, but was already planning things out for the League. For himself, Polaris hadn't even tried; he hardly battled his classmates with Sienna. But his parents had spoken many times of how much fun it was being on a journey with Pokemon, winning battles or contests. It must have been disappointing for them to have four children and so far having not one of them get very far in Pokemon training.

But it was most disappointing to have a son who didn't even try.

… present

Polaris felt those feelings of anxiety all over again. The disappointments of his other siblings had been part of why he never started the League or Contest circuits back then. It was also why he left Hoenn. At least, partly why.

He had a suspicion that the Hall of Sorrow would make him face that all over again. It was almost enough to make him turn back. However, Blair seemed confident in him. She had said not to turn back. And he couldn't earn Misaillo's blessing until he completed this.

Moving on, he soon found himself confronted again by his past.

… year 40

As his mother would tell it later on, she had seen Polaris in the kitchen drawing with crayons. Since he seemed to be safely occupied, she went to the other room to check on his sisters. She came back five minutes later and found him gone.

He had been distracted by clouds gathering in the eastern sky. Being five years old, his interests were still everywhere and anything, so he got up and went out the screen door. It had been raining for much of the afternoon, but he still had on his rain boots from returning from school. Not even the large drops falling in near sheets stopped him. The clouds were calling.

They had been dark blue-gray for the afternoon. But in that moment, they had shifted to a weird red-violet. And there seemed to be a shape within the clouds, forming, unforming, and reforming. Were the clouds trying to give him a message? Unfortunately, he couldn't see it that well on the tree lined lane. Polaris ran to the beach, thinking he'd have a clear view.

The other day, his father had let him look in one of his books. "It's about reading symbols in nature," he explained. "These ones are found in ethereal forms, smoke, mist, clouds, ghostly vapors. Nature tries to speak to us, but most people won't hear. If you listen and watch with your soul, though, you may be able to see these signs."

He thought he'd seen something like that in the clouds. But as he jumped down the cliffs onto the dark wet sands, something else became clear. Far out across the angered waves, it was approaching the shore. He couldn't tell at first what it was. It was like a large Pokemon; however, it didn't have the same shape as a Wailord, which he'd seen from time to time on this beach.

Wondering if the clouds would tell him something more, he looked back to the sky. "Don't force it to make sense," his father's advice came back to him. "Don't expect anything. Just look and listen with an open mind."

The red-violet clouds swirled around, crackling with power and bristling with threats. Then the symbol, no, two of them, came out of the clouds. Two hands reached out to each other, almost touching… a stranger to be met soon. A skull figure near one of the hands… death to a stranger to be met soon.

Polaris shivered from the message, not the rain. Death was near? But why did the clouds want to tell him that? What could he do? He was just a kid. He glanced around, wondering, but only saw the thick haze of rain. He was alone.

From underneath his feet, he felt the earth tremble. He tried to run away, but slipped on a patch of seaweed and fell. To the south, there was an eruption from the ground, shoving trees into the air and throwing up molten sand. It seemed to be a red-skinned Pokemon but nothing like those he had seen before. It radiated the power of the earth itself, vast, sturdy, and strong. Although it was some distance away, it was so large that it only needed a few steps to reach where Polaris was. And it felt like it had the power to flatten all of Lilycove at a moment's notice. As it came out, intense sunlight began to break out of the clouds even though the rain did not let up one bit. The sky was bleeding.

The ground god roared, jarring the boy enough that his insides forgot how to work for a moment. Then the call was answered by an equally powerful challenge. Out to sea, a large blue whale was rising out of the waters. But again, it was no Wailord. This one was like its foe, holding the power of the Hoenn seas, capricious, graceful, and also strong. In response to a second cry, the tides of the beach pulled back further than Polaris had ever seen them go at low tide. She then gathered it all in a wall of water, which she sent at the large red Pokemon.

The enormity of the attack blanked out Polaris' mind for a moment. Pokemon shouldn't be able to do that. After a second, it occurred to him that he should run. It might have been too late by that point, but…

A shout came through the sparkling red rain. Someone caught Polaris as he tried to get to his feet. Someone else barked out an order, which was responded to with a shimmering gold shield. The tsunami from the sea Pokemon's attack crashed onto the beach, sending up fans of water ten feet over the cliff which usually protected the city proper from dangerous weather. As the noise of the water was tremendous, Polaris gripped his rescuer tightly. He gasped out of fear, but the shield withstood the waves.

"You're okay," the one holding him said, although an uncertain tone in his voice betrayed his nervousness about the battle as well. "But what were you doing out in the rain alone?"

Polaris looked up to see the familiar face of a stranger. It was Wallace, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis. Sometimes he came to Lilycove for Contests, but Polaris had never gotten close enough to meet him. When his friend came up, he recognized that young man too: Steven Stone, the Champion of Hoenn's Pokemon League. The Pokemon near him was a four legged steel beast that he didn't know, but would later learn was a Metagross.

"We still need to stall them," Steven said.

"We can't leave the kid alone, though," Wallace replied. "You go on ahead; I'll take him back up."

"No," Polaris said, trying to say it sternly like his Dad did, but too frightened to pull it off. "They'll kill you if you go out there. The clouds said so."

"The clouds?" Wallace asked, to which Polaris just nodded. The Leader looked to Steven.

"I would, but," when he paused, the land Pokemon roared again, signaling an attack of his own. 'Let's get on higher ground. We'll just have to trust that those guys can get the sky dragon awake."

The ground gave a nasty shock after that, making Polaris cry. He shouldn't have come out here! He wished that he could have not done this. But, it was too late for that kind of wish. Wallace carried him up the cliff stairs before another tsunami attack struck the shore. Since he was still upset, the two adults consulted the Metagross about where he lived.

Partway there, they ran into a figure with an umbrella veiled by the rain. "Polaris!"

"Dad!" he called out. Wallace let him go to run to his Dad.

He knelt down to catch him. "Thank goodness, you're okay." He shifted his umbrella to look up at Wallace and Steven. "Thank you for finding him. With what's going on," a fierce roar interrupted him.

"We should be getting help soon," Steven said. "But you'd best go inside."

"He says that the clouds told him that one of us would get killed if we went after those two," Wallace added.

Polaris' father looked up to the sky. "I had seen death too… but the threat is nearly past. You might be another spirit seer."

Still frightened, Polaris shook his head vigorously.

… present

He had never seen Wallace or Steven after that, Polaris reflected. But they had been busy people with public lives, while he had just been a small boy. Not long after reuniting with his Dad, Rayquaza had been summoned to stop the two battling legendaries. He had caught a glimpse of the great sky dragon too, but it had been equally as frightening as Groudon and Kyogre at the time.

After that incident, he had grown reluctant to learn about the work his father did. His father had still tried to get him interested. Maybe if he had seen some less dangerous sign than one of death, he might have followed his father's work. Instead, he'd grown fearful of unusual weather, and from there, other things.

And there was something else that had fed into his fears. And just as soon as he thought of it, the next mirror decided to show it.

… year 45

"Have you thought about what Pokemon you want to get for your birthday?" his Dad had asked as they walked up the stairs of the apartment complex.

It was traditional for children to get their first personal Pokemon at age ten and their family was no exception. Polaris knew what he wanted. "Can I get a Sudowoodo? Or a Bonsley, one of the two."

"A Bonsley or Sudowoodo, huh? That's an interesting choice."

"I like 'em," he replied.

"We'll think about it." He stopped at a door on the third floor and knocked. "This is Mr. Starr, the spiritualist."

The door opened, releasing a hefty scent of jasmine air freshener. "Come in please. I am so glad to see you; I've been worried sick."

The apartment inside had a lot of lace, Polaris noticed: lacy tablecloths, lacy curtains, lacy lampshades, lacy doilies, a stuffed rabbit wearing a lacy dress. The woman herself was wearing a lacy blouse too. "I know how it is," his Dad said. "This is my son; he'll be helping me today. He's no trouble."

Eager to be polite as suggested, he bowed. "Afternoon, ma'm."

"All right, if you think it's safe. Come along, she's in her bedroom."

Down the short hallway, they entered another lacy decorated room. This one had a dichromatic style of yellow and orange. Polaris gave himself a small smile for remembering that word from his art teacher, Mr. Ibsen. Perhaps suitable for a girl's room, there were lots of flowers and a poster of Beautiflies. The only chairs in the room for them to use were white with pretty roses painted along the heart-shaped backs.

The girl was younger than he was. Still dressed in her rose-printed nightgown, she seemed to be struggling against some invisible foe. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying a lot recently, and her small hands were curled up into white-knuckled fists. After checking her vital signs, his Dad took out a special lens and began looking around the room.

"Whatever is here has moved into her mind already," he said. He then handed the lens to Polaris. "Tell me if anything changes." He then pulled out a crystal pendulum for different tests.

Feeling nervous apprehension but trying hard to please his Dad, Polaris took the lens and looked around the room with it. It seemed no different than looking through a piece of glass at the moment. But he had seen invisible spirits with it before. Friendly ones that time, but this time, the spirit might not be friendly.

By the bedside, his Dad whispered various phrases trying to get some information about or reaction from the spirit possessing the girl. For a long time, there was nothing. He closed his eyes in thought, then started a different chant. In the glass, Polaris saw something. "There's some kind of black halo around her now."

He bit his lip. Polaris felt a stomach-twisting worry. What was it that was bad enough to make his Dad concerned? The exorcist brushed his hand just above the girl's face (and through the halo), then said, "This could be rough. Polaris, get one of the protective charms from my bag." After a pause, he added, "A steel one."

"Okay." He put down the lens, then opened the pocket with the charms. There were always a dozen or more in here. He found a steel one, then hung it around his neck.

"Good." He looked to the mother. "You should try to remain calm, quiet at the very least. We're dealing with a serious trickster here and we don't want to give it any advantage. If you have any Pokemon loose in the apartment, you should return them now, save for any Steel or Fight types. I'm going to try to call it out. If I can't get it, the standard cure is… a bit difficult to get a hold of. But I'll do all I can."

She nodded, then left the room, presumably to take care of her Pokemon. Polaris took the lens again at his father's signal to watch. After gathering his focus (which caused a white aura on the lens), the exorcist put his hands on the girl's head and began reciting some arcane prayer. The mother came back into the room as the black aura abruptly doubled in size. Then it began to emerge from her chest.

Putting down the lens, Polaris almost told his Dad. He didn't have to, though, as the black spirit was making itself visible. It was a large ghoul, of a ragged black cloak, black wings, and thin arms. And when it looked at Polaris, he felt his blood turn to ice with fear. The spirit would have jumped right to him if it hadn't been for the charm.

"Master Darkrai," his Dad said in the stern voice he used against troublesome spirits. But he never addressed one as 'Master' before. "What are you doing here?"

"Being here, of course," the ghoul replied, in a voice that was both hardly there and hardly clear. It was like a talking machine that was almost devoid of battery power. "Who has given you the right to call me from the world of dreams?"

"You have come, so you give me the right." The exorcist was looking it in the eyes, not flinching. Polaris didn't think he could do that. "What has drawn you to this girl?"

"A child's game of the occult. There are several others who played the game. No boys though. I may need to draw a boy into the game." It coiled its hand towards Polaris.

"You may only play with those who are in the game already," his Dad said. "Those are the rules."

Darkrai made a ghastly sound, one that he would be hearing in his own nightmares. But it was difficult to tell if it was an amused laugh or an angry growl. "You know your stuff. But we will see how well in coming days." It then turned into a shadowy haze and ran from the apartment.

"Is-is she okay?" the mother asked in a shaky voice.

"She may wake soon. Whatever happens, I need to know who her friends are, who else might be playing this game."

Polaris was hardly able to sleep for the next month, but what nightmares he had were his own.

… present

His father had apologized repeatedly for that incident. He hadn't been expecting a spirit of that power when he invited him along. Still, that had driven Polaris further away from any interest in the supernatural. That is, until he summoned Sienna's ghost.

The god Pokemon really weren't something to mess with, he thought again. He was lucky that the Arkahna gods seemed friendly enough to humans. Still, he could easily imagine what they could do if they were tricksters like Darkrai, or uncaring like Groudon and Kyogre. Other people didn't hold the same views, which invariably seemed to lead to trouble.

What would happen to the spirit clan if one of those thoughtless people captured them? The six of them had been asleep for hundreds of years; Pokeballs hadn't even been thought of back then. The more active legends seemed to have informed them. But did they really know what Pokeballs were capable of?

While he thought, Polaris stumbled into a barrier. He backed up a step and looked at the black force field. Just beyond it was the room with whatever he had to retrieve. The field ran between the last two mirrors. This had something to do with what concerned Misaillo and Hu-kyo. Looking at the mirror on his right, he watched the memory play out.

… year 49

"I told you not to lose that necklace. It was very valuable."

… present

Polaris shuddered. That series of memories was something he didn't like to think about. Still, that refusal might be why there was a barrier here. So he had to think about it.

It started with the class trip the Mount Pyre. His father had been against it for some reason and, when he couldn't cancel it, had given Polaris a protective necklace. Previously, he had said that Mount Pyre was safe on most occasions. So there must have been something to worry about then.

At Mount Pyre, a bully had stolen his necklace. After a short fight, he went in search of his teacher. He wound up getting lost in the catacombs, where his father had found him. It wasn't a surprising place to find him. As an exorcist, he was often there doing research or work. He had then scolded Polaris harshly about losing the necklace, and his art lessons interfering with his Trainer lessons.

Polaris stopped at that thought. Hadn't he completed all his Trainer courses before then? Yes he had, by a couple of months. And he had worked hard at all of his schooling so he didn't lose his art privileges. As for the necklace, his father kept many protective charms. What about that one had been so valuable? He might have gotten a lecture about how, if he was told something was dangerous, then he should take protective measures. But his parents were understanding about bullies.

Right? Some conflicting thoughts came about. After Mount Pyre, home life grew absurdly restrictive. They had made his curfew stricter, cut his computer privileges, had taken Sienna from him to where he had to steal her in order to run away with her…

No, wait. His parents had given him Sienna and knew how close they were. And they had loved Sienna too. Like the other Pokemon, she had been part of the family. So why was life after the incident at Mount Pyre so different?

He looked at the barrier. Blair had said that it was an essence trapped here, an unconscious spirit. So it wouldn't lie or try to deceive him unless he was deceiving himself. He looked back to the mirror. "Show me what the truth is."

It did.

… May 5th, year 49

Polaris knew of a special side room in Mount Pyre that had an ice machine. It was for funeral guests. After finding a plastic bag, he put some ice on his injured eye. There was no one in the area he was at. Most of his peers were up at the top where the altar and the rare Pokemon were.

Sienna clicked worriedly. When Polaris turned to look, a dark violet Pokemon came in through the wall right by the door. It was an elegant looking Ghost, with a tall pointed hat, a red necklace, and a body like an antique shawl. He felt a bit of fright at its presence. But his Dad said that most were simply tricksters, not malevolent spirits.

"Gweeeh," the Mismagius said, stretching an arm out. It seemed to be challenging Sienna.

"Okay. Sienna, trap it."

The Sudowoodo chattered, then fabricated five rocks in order to drop on the Mismagius. In response, the ghost shot a beam of invisible energy at her. As he identified it as Psychic (making this a rather powerful one), the energy struck Sienna and knocked her out easily. She turned into red light and went back to her Pokeball.

Feeling fear clench at his chest, Polaris stepped back. The Mismagius smiled, reaching out to him. A pink orb shot out at him, mesmerizing him. With control over him, the Pokemon cackled and led him into the lower catacombs. These were areas where even the staff rarely went. It manipulated his senses, giving him a warped memory. All the while, it linked its soul with his, draining energy from him. This particular Pokemon, for one reason or another, was bitter and spiteful, using him for some twisted revenge. Without the protective necklace, there was nothing Polaris could do to fight back.

There shouldn't have been anything he could do, though. The false memories struck a nerve in Polaris. "I want to paint," he murmured, getting up and walking away.

The Mismagius struggled to regain control. Polaris was weak, but slowly pulled away. Once he got up to the main level, the Ghost had to let him go in disgust. But it wouldn't let it go at more than a draw. The Mismagius touched Polaris' mind and strengthened his resolve to leave Hoenn behind. In the dead of night while his parents were meeting with the police, Polaris boarded a late ship headed for the distant port of St. Rosaline in the Sea of Jasper region.

The Ghost was still bound to his soul, though.

… present

So that whole section of his life seemed out of place because it was. It was a fabrication made up by a Mismagius named Lurker, who was trying to kill him. But why had a Pokemon done that?

Once he realized that lie, the barrier dropped.

* * *

Blair met him outside of the Hall of Sorrow. He handed her a peculiar scale that acted like a dulled mirror. "This is what I found at the other end."

She nodded, then gave it back. "Good. That is a Glasyrm scale; it used to be known as the Royal Dragon and the palace residents would use them as rewards. We know a few people who raise them, so keep one at the end for tradition's sake. You may keep it, for whatever you like."

"I can see how it would be hard," he told her as he put it away. "But you also see how much you've changed."

"That's true. If you were applying for the Sun Knights, you would pass this test. That is quite remarkable for someone who still hasn't met his masters. So what will you do now? I'll be nearby to protect you, even if you don't see me, so you could try out the Gym in the city."

"Are you all right with that?" he asked. "I've head of the protests some Arkahns made when the League was established."

Nodding, she replied, "It is true that some of us don't like it. It's different than our heritage. However, we did send in Nevin and one other Knight to enter and study the system. It's not perfect, but then neither is our master and apprentice system. And since you're using the Shrine Maidens, it would let our gods know what is going on in more detail. I think it could be a good thing if you continue, but it's up to you."

"Well, all right. I might take a week or so to prepare myself and my Pokemon for it."

"Whatever must be done."


	19. Shelly, Lady of the Dragon Clan

April 14th, year 59

With that mission done, Polaris went to Jade Forest City. For a few days, he was training his Pokemon and himself. He worked with Icewin mostly, since he planned on using him as his primary fighter in the Dragon Gym. The Glasink had seemed pleased when given the Glasyrm scale, but it didn't trigger any signs of evolution. But since he liked it, Polaris let him hang onto the scale as his equipped item.

He had Icewin and Varia escort him on the way to the Midnight Shrine, which some townspeople had directed him to. A stream was nearby, so he could keep a normal pace with his water-dwelling Pokemon. On seeing the shrine, the Scyllamone warbled.

"She says that she doesn't remember this shrine being around," Garnet said.

"It doesn't look like an Arkahna shrine," Polaris agreed, looking the building over.

It was a small building of dark stone and metal. Tall columns were topped by ornate tops with curling designs. Made up of six sides, the roof had triangular peaks and a symbol on the highest point. The symbol was three interlinked circles forming a triangle. There weren't any inscriptions telling what this place was about.

"It seems to belong to the Sinnoh church," he said, pointing to the circles on top. "That would represent three of their native gods, Uxie, Azelf, and Mespirit, holding us in balance and granting true souls to humans." He frowned. "They never say anything about the souls of Pokemon, though."

"Is one of them a Dark type?" Garnet asked, sounding curious.

"I don't think so. But something must be here; I feel some kind of strong spiritual concentration in this shrine. I just hope Will wasn't trying to give me trouble before he was traded."

It was a quiet and empty inside the shrine. Someone was taking care of it, but wasn't around now. By the door, there was a box with a dozen candles in it. In the center, there was a metal framework, curving up in an open dome. There were small drippings of wax in the dome structure. Despite being from the Sinnoh church, which adored elaborate ritual, there wasn't much to this small shrine.

"I think I've got the right idea." He took one of the candles and placed it on a small metal stub in the center of the dome. Lighting it with a match, he went back to close the door to cut off the daylight. There were special vents in the top which let out smoke without letting in more light. He spent a moment gathering his courage, then stated, "What spirits lie here, I offer a prayer by candle light. I was guided here by a Pokemon of the Dark, to know more of the midnight." Was that sufficient? He recalled his mother saying that gods and spirits liked to hear those who were well spoken.

The spiritual power of the Midnight Shrine increased and Polaris felt prickles along his skin. There was some strong spirit around. Then, the shadows seemed to be livelier than before. Icewin murmured softly, looking about warily. In contrast, Varia bowed her head some. She sensed some good spirit and respected it.

"I didn't think any person of spiritual power would appear at this place," a voice emerged from the shadows. It was like a husky whisper, close to him and not wanting those outside the shrine to hear. "But then I didn't expect to see you again either."

"Me again?" he asked. "Who are you?"

A black hand grasped his shoulder, revealing a black-faced Pokemon with clear blue eyes and white hair. "You know who I am," he whispered.

For a moment, he felt an icy grip of fear. But Darkrai was looking away from him, moving to the other side of the dome and examining the candle. Polaris didn't think he could pull of the authority that his father had years ago, but he at least had to remain brave in this encounter. "I didn't realize this was a shrine to you."

"There aren't many," Darkrai replied, looking back at Polaris. The young man at least remembered to keep eye contact with this spirit. "But there are those who…" he put a hand to his chin and thought. "Those that wish to challenge themselves, to face their weaknesses and fears to become stronger. Is that what you wish to find here?"

"No. I'm the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium, and I was trying to find out more about them."

"Oh Lunarium… it has been dreadfully long since she went to sleep." He chuckled and came back over to him. Darkrai hovered in front of Polaris, only a few inches from touching him. Reminding himself that Varia seemed to trust him, Polaris managed to keep his nerve, even when the phantom touched his forehead. "I think she will like you. You're her kind of person. But be careful not to become addicted to her."

"Addicted?"

"You'll know what I mean when you meet her." He turned back and considered things. "So after fearing the world of spirits for so long, you are delving into it for the sake of a stranger's soul. Isn't it interesting how humans change so much over time? There's a place in that castle nearby, I think it's called the Hall of Sorrow."

"I went through there a week ago," Polaris said.

"Did you? Good for you. If you wish to know about the powers of the Dark, I don't mind showing you. However, my challenge is not so simple." He turned back to look at Polaris. "It will come without warning, for such things are not effective when they are scheduled. But I will visit you one of these nights. Just one night, I promise, as I feel respect in your calling. And then perhaps you'll see, and be better prepared to seek your lunar master."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You have grown. Good." Darkrai then vanished into the shadows, snuffing the candle out as he went.

* * *

April 16th, year 59

The Dragon Clan was a famous international organization with a long history. Perhaps as long as the Arkahna Sun Knights and Lunar Sages, Polaris thought. They had been masters of the Dragon type, knowing many secrets about those powerful Pokemon. However, they were also extremely guarded. The Dragon type was one of the least understood in public knowledge. Part of it was because Dragons required patience and determination to train, but much of the ignorance was due to the Dragon Clan's secrecy.

As such, the Dragon Gym of Jasper was a grand building, the largest Gym of the region, barely beating out Lia Saia's ancient stadium. It was much like a fort, with thick stone walls, turrets, and flags of Clan families decorating the walls. The imposing face gave Polaris chills. Entering through the main gate, he saw thick iron bars that acted as a door when the Gym was closed. Why did the Clan decide to be extra forbidding here?

One of the Gym Trainers was in the gatehouse, acting as secretary. She wore the regalia of the Dragon Clan in training, brown clothes with a green cape. "Good afternoon, welcome to the Jade Castle Town Gym," she said. "What is your business here?"

"I'm here to register a challenge," he replied, passing over his six Pokeballs and Badge Box.

"Okay, just a moment." As quickly as she scanned over the information, Polaris wondered if she realized the team he had included two Dragons. She handed everything back and said, "All right, you're clear to go ahead. You'll find a series of rooms past that door. Each room has a puzzle in it. You can either solve the puzzle to pass without a battle, or fight the Trainer in that room. Failing the puzzle will force you into battle, though. Good luck."

"I see. Thanks." He went through the hefty wooden door. It even looked like it belonged in an old fort, despite being in a new building.

The first room was large and open, with a door in the northeast corner. Mirrored wall sconces had candles, which lit the entire room. Not fully; it was still dim in the center. But it gave an ancient atmosphere to the place. The first Trainer, another Clan trainee, smiled and waved at him. "Hey guy. What're you gonna do?"

"I'll see about the puzzle, thanks." He went over to a pair of boards on the wall and looked.

Earlier, he had wondered if this Gym's puzzles were based on history questions, or something regal to match the setting and group. The Gym never allowed film crews to see the puzzles themselves, and he had never heard what they were. On the left board, there was a black diagram of a triangle. On the right board, there were various black shapes arranged in a bar. A note on the bottom said, 'Match in 10 moves'.

It was a tangram. Why was this here? It was an ancient type of puzzle, true, but tangrams were usually a pastime of the lowly, not the noble Dragon Clan. Maybe it was just something the Gym Leader liked. At any rate, it was easy for him as an artist to rearrange the individual shapes of the bar to form a triangle.

"Aw rats," the Trainer said. "Have you been here before?"

"No," he replied, then went through the door.

The next room had another tangram puzzle with the door in the northwest. Polaris solved that puzzle, as well as the third one. In the fourth room, he encountered a battle between another challenger and the room's Trainer. The challenger lost, though. "Sorry, your challenge is over," the Trainer said. "Come back tomorrow if you dare try again."

"Aw rats," the challenger mumbled as he turned and left the Gym.

The Gym Trainer looked at him. "Can you give me a sec to put the puzzle back?"

"Sure." He waited while he worked on that. This young man was an official member of the Clan; that could be told by the blue cape and Dragonair pin that he wore.

Once it was reset, Polaris looked it over. The solution was a stylized dragon. Unlike the others, the starting shapes were in no particular shape. The instructions simply said, 'Two minutes'. He had it solved in one, having done this kind of pattern before.

"Nice work," the Dragon Tamer said, authentically impressed. "You sure you don't want a practice session against me?"

"Nah, we're good," he said. 'I hope,' he added mentally as he went through the last door.

The Gym Leader's room was larger and grander than the ones preceding it. The stone walls echoed footsteps on the stone floors, magnifying them. On the wall were large green and gold banners, with a crest of stylized Salamence. That was the family shield of the Gym Leader, Polaris recalled. The room was lit in the same was as the rest, with mirrored candles, although there were skylights to increase the lighting of the large room.

At the end of the room, there were two people. The woman was the Leader; in her mid-twenties, she had long dark red hair and green eyes. She was accompanied by an older man who looked quite similar to her, with shorter grayer hair and rougher skin. Both of them wore green capes, but unlike the novice one, theirs had gold trim and master's pins.

"Think about it," the older man said, then left for the side door.

"I will, Father," the Gym Leader replied, in a dutiful voice. But once he was out of the room, she looked down, biting her lips. Her fist was clenched, but didn't seem to be much help.

Whatever was bothering her, it kept her from noticing him. Feeling sheepish, Polaris scratched his head and said, "Um, I don't mean to intrude, but..."

She jerked to attention, but flushed bright red. "Oh, er, sorry. It's nothing for you to be concerned with. Now, Roderick Henderson."

"I'm not Roderick," he said gently.

Unfortunately, this made her even more flustered. "Oh, sorry again. It's just… give me a minute, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure, I understand."

She let out a long breath. "Thanks." She went back to the computer station and checked on the challenge roster.

With a bit extra time, Polaris opened up his computer. No new emails. He checked on his team's status to remind himself of his plan. From watching televised matches, he was fairly certain of the make-up of her various teams. As his fifth badge, there were two possible arrangements. One opened with a Kingdra. Another opened with a Shelgon. Both ended in a Glasyrm, which she rarely brought out before being last. If he got the Shelgon team, he was pretty confident in his strategy. If he got the Kingdra team, things would be tougher. And if he had another badge or two, his strategy was wreaked as the Glasyrm could come out before the last slot.

As he shut his computer's cover, she had refocused her attention. Her posture was confident, worthy of the grand heritage she carried. "Okay, so then you're Polaris Starr. You must be pretty good at those puzzles, to make it through this quickly on your first try."

He smiled. "I like tangrams."

She smiled back. "Good. I'm Shelly Gracehaven, master in the Dragon Clan and Leader of this Gym. I've learned the ways of the Dragon Pokemon from centuries of family tradition. Do you have what it takes to match that?"

"I hope so," he replied.

"We'll see. And we begin." She called out a Shelgon. "Withdraw."

Things were going his way today. He pulled the Ultra Ball off his computer slot and released his Glasink. "Icewin, keep steady."

The dragon, which seemed little more than a large white shell with four spindly legs, ducked down and made blue energy build around it. On the other hand, the blue mink fired off his first round of Ice Ball. Despite the extra defense, a second Ice Ball knocked out the Shelgon. Shelly then called out a second Shelgon, which had to deal with the third Ice Ball right off the bat. But it hung in there, panting as it tackled into Icewin. Then Shelly used a Hyper Potion on the Shelgon.

Would that waste his build up? Not by much, as the fourth Ice Ball knocked out the second Shelgon. Shelly narrowed her eyes, her hand nearly on the last Pokeball in her line up. But then, in accordance to the roster she had, she took the third Pokeball and released a Salamence. "Brace yourself!"

The Salamence used the same Withdraw technique, right before Icewin hit with his largest Ice Ball. It was a harsh hit, as ice shattered everywhere and the Dragon Pokemon grunted. But it remained resilient, hanging on to consciousness by a slender amount. Shelly then used another Hyper Potion, bringing its energy back to full.

They didn't have time to use another Ice Ball volley, and it would be bad to use against the Glasyrm. "Use that Ice Beam you learned yesterday," Polaris ordered.

The Glasink clicked in agreement and focused his Ice energy into a brilliant frigid beam. The Salamence yelped, but Shelly then called, "Revenge tech."

"Quick," Polaris said, and Icewin bolted at the Salamence, knocking it out cold before it could set up its attack.

In a snap, Shelly put away her recalled Salamence and sent out her Glasyrm. "Tell 'em who's in charge around here."

As Polaris went to recall Icewin, the Glasyrm suddenly roared, a deafening and bone-rattling sound. Although it made his heart skip a beat, he managed not to fumble and swapped his Glasink for his Katisp. This was risky as he knew this dragon knew Dark-typed attacks, but he felt she could pull it off. "Lethe, show your strength."

She leapt at the Ice Dragon and slashed with her blade, eliciting a cry of pain. The Glasyrm followed up with an attack that dropped the temperature of the room drastically; that was Sheer Cold. But Lethe endured.

"Keep at it," he said, to which she responded with a different slice. The Glasyrm was knocked out.

Putting that Pokeball away, Shelly smirked. "So you have strong Pokemon, at least. You trained them well, if you were the one to train them."

She had seemed all right before, but now she seemed intimidating. But before he could respond, Lethe snarled at the Gym Leader. 'He has proven his soul in many ways, and that is why we follow him.' She clasped her katana and shifted it. 'And you'd best not disrespect him.'

"Okay, fine," Shelly replied, waving her hand in a peaceful manner and looking less intimidating. "I'm sorry. If your Pokemon respect you that much, I should respect you as well. Congratulations on your victory."

"It was their victory, and thank you," he said, directing the last at his Pokemon.

"Right then." She went to the computer station to retrieve his reward box.

'I hope that was not out of line,' Lethe added. The thought came across as softer, indicating it was only meant for him.

Polaris looked at the Katisp and noticed that she held her katana to the side. So she honestly respected him now? "It's fine," he said quietly. "I'm glad to know you feel that way."

She looked pleased and retreated back to her Pokeball.

After that, Polaris felt an impulse to say something else to Shelly, about how she'd been acting earlier. Wasn't that out of line? It had nothing to do with him. But then, just maybe it was needed. Although his mouth went dry, he walked up closer and spoke up again. "You know, if you're not happy, maybe you should do what your heart tells you is right rather than what others are telling you what's right."

Shelly paled some as she looked back up at him. "What do you know about it?" she asked, wary and confused.

He stopped about four feet from her and blushed bashfully. "Well nothing, I guess. But you seemed troubled earlier and that seemed like the thing to tell you."

After a moment's thought, she gave a nervous laugh. "You're… interesting, I guess." She put back the box she had and pulled out another one. When she handed it to him, she leaned in and said, "Don't let anyone know I told you so, but you should teach the move in here to your Glasink. That's it." She nodded. "I wish you luck in the rest of your journey."

That evening, Polaris had his Pokemon out for training in the forest around Jade Castle. Although he couldn't see her, he was confident that Blair was somewhere nearby. The box had the usual reward money and the badge, a simplified version of the Gracehaven family crest. Also in there was a TM for Dragon Roar. It seemed appropriate to his challenge level. So why had she swapped out boxes? There must have been something different about them.

"Icewin, come over here," he called, bringing out his TM case.

"Krrriku?" he asked, tilting his head curiously at the case.

"I was… advised that you could do well with this. Let's see, Dragon Roar… 'Startles foe with mighty roar while boosting user's attacks.' That does sound pretty good."

The Pokemon's ears pricked up, giving Icewin an excited look. Based on his rapid fire clicks, that seemed to be the correct interpretation. He waved his paw, asking for that skill.

It made him smile. "Okay, I'll get it going." He placed it in the player and brought the transmitter end close to Icewin's head. "I think I've got it right. Let's go." He activated the device.

The disc whirred in the machine. It emitted an odd signal, which the Glasink seemed to focus on. After a minute or so, the machine beeped, indicating the skill was transferred. When Polaris pulled the disc out, the information side looked duller than before.

Starting with a happy squeal, Icewin put his paws to his mouth, then threw them down as he let out the bone-rattling roar that Shelly's Glasyrm had used. It wasn't quite as impressive, being higher in pitch and almost childish in quality. But he had indeed startled his teammates, as well as a host of wild Pokemon who began calling out and complaining about the noise.

"Very good," Polaris said, clutching his hand to his chest to keep from laughing at the childish quality of the roar. But then a flash of white light appeared around Icewin, quickly surrounding him. It grew rapidly, causing Polaris, Lethe, and Varia to back up.

Then Icewin reappeared as a Glasyrm, twenty feet long with a serpentine body, long white fur, and a large ornamental mirror on his forehead. Deep blue whiskers curled around his face while scaled cobalt blue spines grew all along his back, like a fin. For a tail, he still had a plush furry length, but it was longer and had a ring of blue needles near the end. He roared again, not a Dragon Roar, but a roar of pride and pleasure.

Polaris was shocked. But when he touched the white fur on Icewin's face, it was real. "You, you evolved." He smiled slowly. "That's great! I should contact Eve and tell her. Or maybe we should go by Professor Arboreal's lab. They'll definitely want to be seeing you again."

Chuckling, Icewin said, "Kurrr kri kli kli." His voice was much deeper, but it seemed to have the same speech patterns. "Kuuu kri kra."

'He says that you and they have treated him well,' Lethe translated. 'Better than he expected. So he wants to take you to the place he was born.'

* * *

That night, Polaris checked up on where the Professor's lab was. It was in Tipa, the little town southwest of St. Rosaline. He hadn't been there much; the only time he could think of was his first use of Teleport, trying to save Lethe. Perhaps he could attempt to use Teleport to get there again? It would help him practice his use of Psychic skills. But no, he should go check in with Santiperra.

He spotted a red flicker around his pendant, so he took hold of it. "Garnet?"

"I'm sorry if I haven't spoken a lot for a while," she said in a faint voice, appearing over the desk. Leaning back against her blade, she seemed weary. "I've been thinking."

"You do that a lot." After a moment of awkward quiet, he asked, "Garnet, are you Rubledge?"

She froze. "How could you tell?" she asked, wary instead of weary.

"That name fits your form," he pointed out. "And it's obvious you're no ordinary Pokemon. You can manipulate possibility and your knowledge of ancient things is greater than modern."

"That is so." She slumped back. "I told you, I'm not worthy of being addressed by my proper name yet."

"Is it about what happened with the Dexe tribe? Because that was so long ago."

"Partly. I recovered from that addiction long ago, although I was messed up for a time. It's a good thing I was chained down. My mind took longest to heal. I couldn't tell how many years passed then, as I never saw the sun."

Polaris put his arms on the table and watched her. It explained how she was troubled so often. "But you were trapped in what, that pyramid? Even with what you did…"

"I needed it," she interrupted. "But I was freed around a thousand years ago. The ones who freed me weren't benevolent, though. They wanted me in my insanity. They took me to Jesrin and… well that demon born there was taken from me. I was ashamed that such evil could be created from me still, so I hid. Now, I want to apologize to Lunarium and Desolaire, for everything. But they've been sleeping for so long."

"I see. So that's why you've been helping me."

Garnet brought two of her hands to her chest and bowed her head. "I don't mean to use you, but there has been a problem. You're not the first to try awakening the spirit clan of the Arkahna tradition. I watched the others, helping from afar. But they always failed at the same point. I searched for someone who could get past that point, and found you."

"What is the problem?"

"It's Desolaire," she said, looking off out the window. Then she looked at Polaris. "She will not listen to most people, even her own sister. She was the main voice in going into hibernation, for the in-fighting of the people affected her deeply. After the last failure, I decided that I would make sure that she would listen, even if it means interfering directly."

"But why would she listen to me over anyone else?

"When I met you, your spirits were in darkness, yet you struggled on to find light. You understand how deep sadness can reach. She is most likely to listen to someone who knows that, for it is said that she was heartbroken at the fighting of her people. I believe it will take someone else who has suffered a broken heart, out of grief, to reach her heart and convince her to awaken once again."

…

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Glasyrm

Glazicle - Glasink - **Glasyrm**

The Galcial Ruler Pokemon

Type: Ice/Dragon

Ability: Ice Build

Description: Glasyrm is very long, eighteen to twenty-five feet with a slender tail. Its limbs have grown small, but now have long claws for gripping. Its fur is now completely white, but still soft. The glass hairs are still cobalt blue, but form a ridge along its back instead of being sprinkled over its body; several scaled spines grow along this ridge, and shed scales are often thought to be lucky charms. Its head is shaped like a dragon, with large golden eyes, a long snout, and sharp teeth. It has a decorative mirror crest and long straight whiskers, both made of the cobalt blue glass hairs.

Notes: Even taking into account the usual precautions of caring for large Pokemon, Glasyrm are difficult to work with. They get powerful moves, but are slow in learning them naturally. While their ability counters a common hazard to Dragons, their unusual typing negates many of a Dragon's natural resistances. They tend not to take hits well, so one may wish to build their defenses. Otherwise, a Glasyrm is powerful and will force your opponents to fight it differently, useful for a Dragon-themed team. (S. Gracehaven)


	20. Lady Scepta of the Scizors

April 21st, year 59

Nevin let Polaris stay at the Lia Saia Gym for the night, as the ferry had come in late. When he woke up, he found the Leader speaking with another Sun Knight, a young woman with a Scyther. "Weren't you two in the bell chamber with me in Deidre?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes... I am sorry that we assumed you to be a thief. I didn't think the sky twins would choose an outsider."

"I understand." He bowed his head to the Scyther. "And I'm sorry for hurting you back there."

"Tesse ke," she replied, tapping the side of her head.

"Her hearing is recovered, so she's fine."

"Camilla was just telling me that there's a problem with you going to the Shrine of Power," Nevin said.

She nodded. "I've had to shut off the canyon to anyone going inside. Lady Scepta, leader of the Scyther and Scizor swarm that lives there, has decided to give up her position to a younger Scizor. That's why my master Miguel isn't here right now, as he and Skyra here are still part of the swarm. It's too dangerous to be traveling into the canyon today."

"Oh, well... I found the shrine maiden sitting in my doorway when I woke up. She gave me a message that I was to come to the Shrine by sundown, if possible, then left."

"And that would have come from Santiperra," Camilla noted in resignation. "He could have almost awakened when you walked into his Shrine."

"Zepharia said he heard the bells ringing in his sleep," Polaris added.

"Then he should make the attempt," Nevin stated. "See if you can't get him through. The swarm respects you as one of their own."

* * *

All that stood at the entrance to the red stone canyon was a caution sign with a posted notice: 'The Pokemon within this canyon are temporarily agitated and hostile. Enter at your own risk.'

"That's the best I can do while complying with the laws," Camilla said, going around the sign. "In the old days, I could have blocked off the canyon with a large stone for the day, so long as the other Pokemon were able to get out."

Skyra clicked, then flitted over to a hidden hole in the wall.

"Right. Polaris, we're going to take you on the high path through the canyon. The Scizors are less likely to be up here."

"Okay." He followed the Scyther to a hidden path. It was a wide and natural staircase, with uneven grades and grassy openings. Occasionally, they could hear metallic clamor, apparently the battling Scizors. Skyra called out every now and then, getting responses from other Scythers. She kept the wild ones from attacking them.

There were a number of different turns and forks, but Skyra and Camilla knew where they were going. Eventually, they started down a steep staircase that would require stretching to get back up. It put them six feet past the boulder, which was again blocking the entrance to the Shrine. After putting Strength back on himself, Polaris went in and moved the boulder.

"We'll stay out here," Camilla said. "So they don't follow you in."

"Okay, thanks." He went inside with Picasso.

Over the past couple of days, Polaris had given a lot of thought to this challenge. This shrine had a lot of murals, far more than the rest. And they all circled around the notion that power was not about mere strength. One had to use power wisely, use one's natural powers, and faith itself could be a power. So who was to say that this challenge to a battle wasn't a trick question? Certainly, Tesla and Santiperra couldn't expect an apprentice who had never met his or her masters to be very strong, or even any good at using the Transcriber.

If it was a trick question, then what was the real challenge? Once he entered the 'battle', he didn't have long to answer it. The Garchomp was likely holding back, but she knew how to 'safely' knock him unconscious if he failed. Polaris had an idea he could try. If it didn't work out, then he'd just have to try again.

"To chi," Picasso said, patting his arm in encouragement, then hopping over to the side to watch.

"Thanks," Polaris said, then faced the statue. "Shrine Maiden Tesla, I have returned to rechallenge you."

The coating of her statue crumbled again as the Garchomp reawakened. She hopped off her statue, then looked him over. "Hoowh shay," she said softly.

Gripping the tablet at ready, Polaris bowed to her, which was soon mimicked. Then she got into her battle poise, ready to rush at him. This time, he didn't run. He quickly sketched out an altered symbol for Psychic; a shimmering white shield appeared in front of him, causing her to get knocked to the ground when she hit it. "That is the power of both my masters," he stated, doing his best to stay and sound calm.

She hopped back up, watching him. The moment she spent doing that was enough for him to draw a Fire symbol. As she came at him with her claws this time, he slipped away as a quick flare of fire hit her.

"That is the power of Master Desolaire," he said. Now was the hard one; he hadn't heard back from Darkrai, but he'd do the best he could. Polaris drew the Dark symbol, managing to call up a Glare attack. "And that is the power of Master Lunarium." He looked to the Dragon, then felt like adding, "I trust in their power, for they will guide my own."

Tesla chuckled to this, then said something that Garnet translated as, "That is how it should be. Now come awaken my master, please."

They went down the hall past the healing chamber. A short ways later, there came a large open cavern. As they stepped into the room, mystical orange lights turned on, illuminating a giant sand pit. The stone path led to a platform like the other shrines, past a set of stairs and six feet above the sand pit. Polaris copied the scroll's design to the tablet, feeling the strength of the earth around him.

He touched the tablet when he was done. "Santiperra, please awaken."

In response, a ripple ran through the sand pit. The cause of the ripple came their way, then leapt out of the sand. While Polaris expected a large creature, he was a Bug about five feet in length. He had a body of fifteen segments, all covered in a burnt orange armored exoskeleton with four yellow legs. His head had a large pincer beak and black compound eyes. Three horns or spines swept backwards on his head, while three longer spines came off his end.

"So, pilgrim, you came," he said. "I'm not sure about accepting you just yet, though."

"You're not?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Tests are all fine and good, but they don't always reveal the complete truth. Most of the time, I'm willing to let the pilgrims go with that, but not this time, not with Desolaire's troubles." He lifted himself up on his back few segments. "Tell me, how much do you know about the Bugs that live in the canyon?"

"The Scythers and Scizors? Not much. I've only seen them in that canyon, in person anyways."

"Do you know what they're doing right now?"

"They're having some competition to become leader of the swarm."

"Hmm." He clicked his pincers. "As I was partially awakened, I was able to observe them. The current leader, Scepta, is ill. She will enter a battle with her successor and be killed by that one."

"She's choosing her killer?" he asked, feeling shocked.

"Yes. You have a translator with you. I want you to speak with Scepta." He dropped down and started out of the Shrine.

She was choosing her killer... and presumably the next protector of her swarm. And he was supposed to talk with her. About what? It seemed that many Pokemon species had their own sub-cultures and he barely knew anything about the majority of them. He only knew some he had derived from his own Pokemon's behavior. This one was already completely alien to his way of thinking.

Or maybe not. Polaris thought of Lethe and her current drive to prove her worth to him. He already knew she was powerful and skilled, but because he had seen her in a time of weakness, she felt self-conscious about it. Katisps were serious warriors; so were Scizors, it seemed. Scepta wouldn't want to be seen as weak, perhaps why she wanted to die in battle rather then from an illness at her old age. Perhaps it would be best if he didn't acknowledge her illness.

They came out of the Shrine, back into the bright canyon, which was turning orange in the setting sun. Before Camilla or Skyra could get to them, a pair of the fighting Scizors chased each other into the area. One, probably blinded by his focus on the battles, tried to attack Santiperra. The centipede responded by snatching the taller Bug's ankles with his pincer, then tossing him roughly fifty feet away. The other Scizor wisely backed off.

"They could do some serious damage to me," Santiperra said as he led Polaris on. "But that's partly why I've always let them stay close. Weak beings generally can't come to the Shrine of Power because of the Scyther and Scizor swarm."

In a shaded area under an overhang, Scepta was standing and watching the canyon. Her wings were a white blur, although definitely weren't enough to lift her off the ground. Her attention went immediately to Santiperra; she placed her right claw against her chest and bowed to him. "Kzzzk ka ri tha, zshakikirra."

"Greetings, Scepta," he replied. "I saw you with my half-asleep mind."

As the old Scizor kept talking, her illness became more apparent. She grew short of breath before long. To disguise this, she spoke slower than she had several months ago.

"Scepta is telling him that she's glad to see him awake," Garnet said quietly. "It means that her choice to stay in the canyon was good."

Santiperra then spoke in a series of clicks, apparently something he didn't want Polaris hearing. Scepta closed her eyes, thinking, then looked to the human and asked him a question.

"She wants to know how you've done on your search."

"I've awakened Zepharia, Hu-kyo, and Misaillo, and Santiperra now. So they're coming back to the Pokemon and people around here." When she kept watching him, he added, "I drew a scroll in Jesrin that apparently killed a demon."

"Sha kzz za re za," she said, tapping her right claw to her head. Then she asked, "Zri she zah sha? Kzzk rizzk kazza."

"She says that you did well to kill a demon, but what were you doing in Jesrin? She knows it as an ancient cursed place."

"The man who said he was the prophet of Desolaire gathered many Arkahn in Jesrin for a speech. I went in to see what he was like, although I had to go in disguise to get into the city."

"Tch, ze." She looked out to the canyon and spoke.

"She has to watch the other Scizors, because she'll decide shortly after evening falls," Garnet translated. "She wonders what you think of them."

"I don't know them. I'd have to watch myself." He looked over to where they were.

There were five within view. There was the one Santiperra threw; he was trying to avoid using the ankle which had been grabbed. As there were two other males, one had to be Miguel. After a bit, he was able to identify a black band on one of the Scizor's arm. Being a human-made item, that one had to be him. One of the females was fighting Miguel. The other was going after the injured one and the third male, who was fighting oddly defensively. Not as in protecting himself, but as if he was blocking the progress of the other four.

"Kzzka kz ri?" Scepta asked.

"What do I think?" Polaris asked. "Well, you probably won't pick Miguel, right? Because he has prior responsibilities to his apprentice."

"Ze," she replied, nodding, then explained something.

"She picked him for Camilla's second master because he was better with humans than the rest, and he knew her best of the group," Garnet said. "So what of the other four?"

"Um... I don't think that one would be right," he said, pointing out to the one limping. "Because you show great respect for Santiperra, but he attacked as soon as we came out."

She nodded again. So he was doing all right so far.

"I don't know about the two females, but that third male, I think he's guarding one of the entrances to the upper paths. If he's doing it to look after the other members of the swarm, that shows that he can keep collected and follow his priorities."

Scepta responded, which Garnet translated as, "He is doing that, and has been deflecting the attention of the others from the upper paths during the day. And it is good that he's paying more attention to the safety of the overall swarm than his own position. That one, I think his name is properly Kezze, is the primary one she has in mind for a successor."

As the sky darkened and the stars began to sparkle, Scepta knocked her left claw into a piece of metal to call the attention of the battlers. She winced at doing so, but Polaris politely pretended not to notice. The five other Scizors came over for Scepta's judgment.

She spoke in short terse phrases. She reminded Miguel of his contract with Camilla, for which he bowed his head and stepped back. When meeting with the second male, she only gave a harsh sound, presumably about disrespecting the recently awoken legendary Pokemon. She spoke to the two females; Garnet told Polaris that one was 'always too rash' and the other 'still too proud'. Then she pushed Kezze back, challenging him, 'If he would dare take responsibility of leading the tribe from her'.

Interestingly enough, Kezze dropped back, a show of respect for Scepta's former power and willful ignorance of her current weakened state. He accepted her challenge by saying something like, 'I would dare to follow your legacy and pride.' Then he asked, since this was a ritual battle, who would pray for the honor of the both of them. While Polaris felt a sense of wonder that these fierce Pokemon would follow such a civilized tradition, Scepta pointed to him.

Santiperra, who had been quiet for some time, scuttled up to him and lifted himself off the ground. "You need to pray for both warriors during their battle."

"Um, all right." He got up, then bowed to them. "I will pray that this battle is a glorious one."

The elder Scizor said something to the others. They seemed to be in agreement. So she placed her clawed hands on top of his. They were very warm, evidence of her illness. "Keh ziria kzzz ke, kri ki hezz jeh."

"From this day out you are a friend of the swarm," Garnet translated.

Polaris bowed his head to them. "Thank you, friends."

They each responded to him, then Scepta and Kezze left the canyon going west. Polaris wasn't entirely sure what they wanted him to do, but he had agreed to pray for both of them. Kneeling down, he prayed in silence. Next to him, Santiperra hissed in an oddly hypnotic and soothing manner. Miguel left, presumably to go find Camilla elsewhere in the canyon. Some of the Scythers dropped down to speak to the Scizors.

Almost two hours after they had left, Kezze came back alone. He thanked Polaris for his prayers, then shooed the rest of the swarm off elsewhere to speak with them. Santiperra stood back up again, putting him eye to eye with Polaris as he was still kneeling.

"There are some aspects of a soul that cannot be truly tested in controlled settings," Santiperra said. "In the traditional sense, you are not all that powerful, simply on average with your kind. You would not have been able to defeat Tesla fully, or even the Sun Knight in this canyon. But in the ways of skill, heart, and even courage when you need it, you are powerful. I once believed only in strength as power and would not have accepted that. But that has changed and I see how one like you could be stronger. And with that made certain, I accept you, pilgrim."

"Thank you, Santiperra," he said. "I'll keep doing my best."

"You do that. Now that four of us have awakened, you may go find Lunarium. However, there is a certain method to this. There is a gate near the sea in a town called Delrine. A Delrine temple is still there, thankfully, but with only one priest. Go there, bringing the four Maidens with you, and ask the priest about blessing you before you can go into the moon's desert. Then you are to walk to the place where Lunarium sleeps, you and the four Maidens."

"What about Picasso and my other Pokemon Icewin?" Polaris asked. The Smeargle raised his head at this.

"They cannot go with you," Santiperra answered.

"Keh?" He jumped up.

"That is tradition," the Bug said sharply to Picasso. "It must only be the five of them. That is the rule Lunarium put down thousands of years ago."

"Feh," Picasso grumbled spitefully.

"Also, it is a difficult trip. You may wish to spend some time preparing, getting the Maidens back into good shape and honing your own skills and power. You would not be the first to fail in the crossing if it so happens, but best to take the time now in order to cross once."

"Right, it would."

"With that, take Tesla with you. And blessings be with you, pilgrim Polaris." He scuttled off and soon was gone amidst the rocks and sand.

"Te da?" Picasso asked, coming up and tugging at his sleeve.

"I'm disappointed to hear that you can't come either," Polaris said. "I'll ask Megan if she minds watching you for a few days."

"Hmpf." He didn't say anything more as they left to look for Camilla.

* * *

April 24th, year 59

Amarillo Desert Route

Elsewhere in Jasper, spring was taking hold. But in the southern desert, the infamous oppressive heat was starting to dig in. Polaris wore sunglasses and the outfit he had gotten in Jesefin. It helped a lot, as the light colors reflected the sun's heat while the long cloak and high boots protected him from the gritty sand that the winds blew around.

Teleporting the miles between Lia Saia and Tipa was harder than he expected. He had to take it segments at a time, or else he would overreach his power and potentially cause great harm to himself when he arrived. As it was mentally tiring more than physically, he took to walking along the desert routes until he felt ready to teleport again. Picasso took it upon himself to walk alongside him, making sure that he was okay. Much of his winter coat had been shed, but Polaris still found loose fur when he brushed the Smeargle. He brought back out Picasso's cloth hat in order to help him too.

There were very few towns along these routes and what settlements there were generally were mobile, moving from place to place to keep up with food and water. They had camped out the first night which, like his December trip down here, was a cold one. Then he kept heading west.

There was one teleport where he felt strange: instead of a blurring effect, his vision was filled with blue and black streaks. When it cleared, he found himself outside of Jesrin, miles north of where he should have been. "Ko?" Picasso asked, then tensed. He growled and shifted closer to Polaris.

In front of them was a human-like figure in a tall pointed hat and a wispy violet poncho. Now in the daylight, Lurker appeared hazy with indistinct features. "How well do you know yourself?" he asked.

Polaris clenched his fists. "Lurker? What are you doing here?"

The strange Mismagius held its hand up. "How well do you know?"

Nervous, but feeling as though he should answer or get in serious trouble, Polaris said, "You defeated Sienna inside Mount Pyre, then possessed me. You took me deeper into Mount Pyre and drained the life out of me… for revenge, wasn't it? Revenge against my father, who had spent months trying to seal you in a crystal so you could be permanently banished to the land of the dead. Because even back then, you weren't an ordinary Mismagius."

"Yes. I would have drained as much of your life force as I could have, putting a true Destiny Bond on us, one that would not fade with time. Then I would have used Perish Song; with all your life force at my command, it would have killed you, and me."

"And you?"

Lurker nodded. "To roam the cruel other world and turn you into a tormented soul such as myself, then to unleash you back at your family's home. That was my ideal revenge, to force him to banish his own son, driven insane in the realm of Giratina."

Shuddering, Polaris shook his head. "That's horribly cruel, far too much for revenge."

"Does it seem so?" Lurker hissed. "He was going to completely annihilate my soul. But then you somehow fought my spirit drain, holding onto your life and art so tight that I could not pull any more energy from you. The Destiny Bond was already in place and I could not escape you. I forced you to run, so far away that you would surely collapse. And you managed to interpret that as sneak onto a boat and come all the way out here. You nearly died, in the sickness that followed."

He clutched the leaf pendant, remembering that Sienna had thought that illness was suspicious. "That's right… I remember that."

Lurker crossed his arms over his chest. "But you didn't die. You lived, keeping that resistance to my draining skills as you recovered your natural energy. And I suffered for it, only able to affect you in minor ways. I nearly had a chance when the Sudowoodo died. I could have dragged you down to your death and completed my goals. Yet you managed to pull through that even. But when you got another chance in that Transcriber, so did I."

"I only saw you again after I got it."

He pointed to the city. "And I got to meet the spirit who sleeps there when you got it."

"The leader of the demons?" Garnet asked, alarmed.

Lurker nodded. "Rubledge told me if I brought you to him, he would grant me the power to torment you and your cruel father far more than I could before. He even gave me this form as a promise. Now I will bring you in to see him, dragging you if I must." He brought his hands back out, causing a dark glow around them.

Without warning, Garnet appeared and caused a yellow flicker around herself. A bolt of energy pulsed through Lurker, causing him to become paralyzed. Then she turned to him. "Polaris, it's like he's said before. This creature has moved beyond the bounds of becoming Pokemon. His skills are deadly and he could kill easily. But then, if you do manage to defeat and destroy him, that Destiny Bond is still linking your souls. It would kill you to win."

Polaris grabbed the glass brush, starting to tremble. "R-really? Should we run?" Picasso flicked his tail and looked up at them, ready to fight, but not so sure if it would kill Polaris.

She shook her head. "No, not with how he can take over teleports. You must summon me, quickly, like you do the others. I can deal with Destiny Bond."

But she was here… he decided not to question it for now. Who knew how long the paralysis would last. There was just one thing he had to know. "And I was right about who you are?"

She nodded.

Deciding to use a stylized form to save time, Polaris drew the large crescent, then the little hominoid Pokemon that sat within in. As Lurker struggled to get back into motion, Polaris put his hand on the tablet. "The lost god Rubledge…. Come back to your true form to defend your true nature."

The small Pokemon Garnet vanished to be replaced by the much larger Rubledge. The stone crescent was now nearly as tall as Polaris, although Rubledge herself was extremely slim. Then, her form began to glow white. She shifted her body around so that the crescent blade came off her legs and split into two, becoming twin curved swords in her upper two hands. Her center two hands came together over her chest and grasped onto a large round shield. Then her lowest set of arms came out to help balance her poise as she readied to fight.

Lurker glared at her. "You are not the true Rubledge!" he shouted. "He is a god beyond gods!"

"He is a devil created from the remnants of my insanity and nightmares," Rubledge countered, her voice still gentle, yet firm. She twisted her free set of hands, causing a number of brilliant lights to shine over her. Recognizing it from contest use, Polaris knew it was Rock Polish, increasing her speed. "And you are a demon born of a cruel Pokemon. I will banish you."

"Blades do nothing to me," Lurker growled, shaking off his paralysis. He sent a blast of Psychic at her.

Rubledge dodged, then dropped down rapidly, bringing her blades to the ground. This summoned a mass of rocks to appear and slam into Lurker. Then she twirled back up, apparently using Sword Dance. After dodging another Psychic, she sent another blast of rocks his way.

Despite the danger to his life, Polaris found himself entranced by how Rubledge fought. She seemed to be dancing more than battling, yet she struck her opponent with great power. On the other hand, Lurker fought with energy that was increasingly psychotic. He snarled and hissed, his poncho whipping around under the influence of his power. And he lost some control over his form, with his hair growing longer and ghostly violet, his legs starting to fade from view.

Then she knocked him down. "Polaris, I need you to focus inward," Rubledge commanded. "Do as you did before: take hold of your life and don't let go."

"Koh," Picasso said, tugging at him.

Kneeling down, Polaris took the Smeargle's paws. The fur was soft and the pads were warm, but grits of sand were everywhere. "If you're going to help me, thanks." Then he closed his eyes.

How did you hold such a thing as your own life? The false memories had become muddled ever since he discovered the truth, so it was hard to say. But Lurker had said he was holding onto his art too. Maybe it was the things he treasured about life. There was art, of course. There were his Pokemon, some very dear friends like Picasso here, others moving closer to that like Icewin. There were his human friends: Jack, Diego, Eve, various others he had met.

And closer than that to his heart, there was Megan. The Grand Festival was in May, he reminded himself. He had a promise to keep and he had to keep it. And he hadn't yet seen all of Jasper, had he? He had grown to love this life of travel; maybe he wouldn't stay like this forever, but he at least wanted to see more of the region he lived in, the one that had become his home.

And, there was his old home region. And those he had left behind in Hoenn. Could he reach his family again, once the force that had driven him away was permanently gone? That would be good. He made a promise to himself that he would try.

Then a sharp pain ripped through his body. He felt a cold touch on his skin, like the Mismagius was trying to drag him down. It's a mental thing; he mentally pulled back, hanging onto his promises, his friendships, his art, his life. He couldn't give that up to some cruel demon's idea of vengeance.

There was a snap as Rubledge managed to slice through the Destiny Bond connection. Lurker screamed, but the sound was swallowed up along with him to some other realm. Gasping, Polaris felt as if he'd been released from a crushing grasp. Picasso managed to grab hold of him before he fell onto the hot sand. "Soo ra," he murmured, nuzzling his neck.

"Thanks," he replied, patting his Pokemon's back. "I got through it."

"Someone else is coming," Rubledge said, coming over to them. She glowed again, returning to her normal poise of sitting within her floating crescent blade.

Polaris got back up, despite feeling tired. He didn't see anyone right off, but then realized they were being approached from above. A moment later, a large green and gray dragon swooped in and landed beside them. He had a thin face and a pair of long horns on his head. Although Rayquaza seemed out of place so near the ground, he did not give any illusions of weakness.

Awed to meet this legendary face to face, Polaris bowed. "Holy Rayquaza… this is unexpected."

The dragon made a thoughtful grumble. "Well met, Polaris, son of Jeremiah. And Picasso the Smeargle. And you." He looked to Garnet. "You are the original Rubledge, then."

She bowed deeply, nearly touching her forehead to the end of her crescent blade. "That I am, noble dragon. Although I'd rather my name not spread too far. I am still seeking the forgiveness of those I have wronged."

Rayquaza gave an acknowledging nod. "I had a feeling you were still out there. I have been keeping an eye on the one sealed within that place for my friends. He has been stirring, trying to lure ones like that tainted Mismagius into unsealing him. In time, he will have to be banished. But it would take your power to do so."

Rubledge's eyes went wide. "My power?" she asked, putting a hand to her chest. "I thought I would no longer be counted among you…"

"Whether you are or not, it was born from you. Thus, you must be present in order to banish it fully. If you lack such power, I am sure there will be help."

"I think the Spirit Clan would help," Polaris added. "Since it threatens their home land."

"That would be so," she said, but still seemed uneasy.

"You do need more time before you summon the final two," Rayquaza said, turning back to Polaris. "Desolaire in particular will be difficult to reach. You may be able to summon her sister Lunarium at this point, but the sun goddess, likely not. And you may have trouble reaching the moon goddess if you you got hijacked by that spirit."

"I'm still figuring out these powers," Polaris said.

"Then keep at it. And Polaris, something else you should consider. You should turn your loyalty from me to the sky twins. I have no trouble with this; knowing the clan, we have been good friends for a long time and they need your faith more than I."

"I see." He bowed to the dragon god. "But thank you for the teachings you have given us. It has helped me be a better person, I'm sure."

Rayquaza nodded. "You have done well under me, but it is time for you to move on. Farewell." Then he leapt into the sky and was soon lost in its vibrant blue.

After a couple of teleports, he managed to get back onto the regular desert route. He encountered Blair and her Lunatone there. "Oh, there you are, pilgrim," she said. "We lost track of you for a while."

He glanced around, but only Picasso was out with him now. "It's okay, we were able to handle it. But you've been following me still?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's very important. You have the Transcriber, after all. We want to make sure that you are safe."

"That would be." He scratched his head. "Well if it's alright, mind telling me how I'm managing with my teleporting? I mean, aside from that one goof a little while ago. I know that was a mistake."

Smiling, Blair replied, "Aside from that, you're getting the hang of it. But you should remember that you can also borrow the senses of a Psychic and a Dark Pokemon. You should work on those too, so that you can sense what lies ahead before you blindly teleport."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Santiperra

**Santiperra**

Legendary Pokemon of Earth

Type: Bug/Ground (unconfirmed)

Ability: (Unknown)

Notes: Santiperra is one of the six god Pokemon of the Arkahna religion. Stories are vague at best, but it seems that he favors those of great inner strength, not those of outer strength. Associated with autumn, Santiperra is prayed to by farmers for good crops.

Key search: Rubledge

**Rubledge**

The lost legendary Pokemon

Type: Rock/Fight (unconfirmed)

Ability: (unknown)

Notes: Recent archeological studies have shown that a thousand years ago, there was a conspiracy to bring the insane Rubledge back to power. However, that effort failed, instead calling forth a demon from a realm of chaos. As for Rubledge itself, it seems to avoid contact with others. Yet witnesses have claimed that a powerful Pokemon like Rubledge appeared to defend them from demons. It seems to be that Rubledge is not a devil, but in fact a lost god.

Key search: the Jesefin devil

Note on demons: It has been proven that creatures known as demonic Pokemon are in fact unlike any other Pokemon, and thus may be something entirely different. Some sociopathic and insane Pokemon have been known to turn into demons; when communicating with those species that can speak to humans, it is said that these ones have 'moved beyond the boundaries of being a Pokemon'. Research into this is still on-going, but it is highly advised that such demons not be captured.


	21. Moonflower Caverns

April 26th

Amarillo Desert Route

It was night and Polaris was checking his campsite over before going to sleep. He had found a rocky area, so had set up there. Near the largest rock, his fire was protected from any winds that might kick up. He had brought his Pokemon out to share a meal and to sleep outside. Most of them were in various stages of falling asleep, although Lethe and Tesla were practicing just outside of the fire's light.

So he was to drop out of the Church of Rayquaza and enter the Arkahna church fully. He wasn't sure how to do that. For one thing, they were still wary of outsiders. Maybe not as hostile as before; according to news reports, there were fewer protests and demonstrations than a year ago. Then again, he was being watched by a Sun Knight and knew several others. They were greatly respected, so perhaps that would allow him to be accepted. As for his old church, he was pretty sure that people would understand. The Church of Rayquaza wasn't known for being vindictive or controlling.

His cell phone rang, startling him for a moment. There was a signal out here? He pulled it out of his bag and noticed that yes, he did have a clear signal. And that the call was from a friend in St. Rosaline. He answered it. "Good evening Jack."

"Evening, Polaris," the older man said. "How's it going on the road?"

"Hot and sandy," he replied. "I'm crossing the Amarillo Desert."

"That sounds like quite the adventure. Listen, I've got an offer for you. You are going to be back home for the Grand Festival, aren't you?"

He smiled. "Of course. I promised Megan I'd take her out then."

Jack chuckled. "Right you did. But she's going to have a food stall set up, so of course she'll be working most of the days."

"Ah. I'm going to have to steal her from work again, is it?"

"Hah, most likely. But I've got a plan for the Festival booths here; I got my job back, of course. And I've noticed that there's a small stall next to her's that is currently untaken. Did you want to set up your drawing booth again? You're not the official artist anymore, so you can't get a free booth this year. But I've got the things here to get you this paid booth if you act fast."

"Oh, sure, that'd be great. Thanks a lot." He flipped open his computer and brought up his financial spreadsheet. "What does it cost?"

"For the week long festival, four hundred and fifty dollars. You'll be in a high activity area near the Cute stage and a temporary battle arena, so it's a good deal."

He wrote down the figure. "I see. That would be on Grand Street or nearby, then?"

"On Saffron Street, but yes, very near Grand. Since you're on the road, I think I can talk some people into building a booth if you design it."

"I can cover the booth fee and some of your expenses if needed. I won't be trying for an award or anything, so I don't need anything fancy." He opened up a secondary note-taking program. "What're the dimensions of the space?"

They talked through that and filling out the registration card. After a half an hour of discussion and another half hour of wait, he got an email alert that the booth had been reserved.

* * *

April 27

Mount Pyre, Hoenn

It was late at night. Despite the darkness and the whispers of Ghost Pokemon, a single man walked up the grassy paths to the peak. He felt there was nothing to fear here. He knew the ghosts, both Pokemon and spirits. And he knew this pathway well, having traveled it many times by day and by night.

Arriving at the altar, he gazed over the familiar sight. A marble monument was there. On one level, there were two glass orbs sitting in balance. One was a brilliant earthy red while the other was a sparkling sea blue. Two powers in an uneasy balance, but they had to stay in balance. If they gave in to their reckless feud, all would suffer. Thankfully, these past years the orbs had been calm. The two gods had been calm, awake but perhaps realizing the danger at last.

On a second level above them, there was one emerald green glass orb sitting in the center above the other two. That one held and enforced the balance between the other two. That god did not seek to rule; he simply sought to keep peace and balance. Every month, the man came up to this alter and prayed that the peace between the three gods would remain.

He got through the ceremony without interruption, which was good. But as he set about to snuffing out the three candles, they went out on their own accord. He heard the sound of some Pokemon landing on the rocky area around him. When he looked past the altar, he saw a familiar outline. He bowed. "Holy Rayquaza, good to see you again. I hope you are well."

"That is so. Good evening, Jeremiah." The dragon god moved along the rocks so that he was more in the priest's sight. "I have come tonight to keep a promise. It is about two souls, one you failed to banish and one you failed to even find."

That promise. It brought a sense of dread and sadness, but some hope with it. "I see. So what of Lurker and Polaris?"

"The corrupted Mismagius planned on using stronger and more permanent forms of Destiny Bond and Perish Song to kill your son, then drag him into the netherworld. It did not work out quite as planned, but the two remained linked. A couple of days ago, Lurker was finally vanquished and banished, with the link to Polaris broken. The latter remains in this world."

"That explains some of why I couldn't find him. So how do I find him now?"

Rayquaza shifted his position again, retreating to the darkness of night. "I will leave that up to you, and him. The answer will surprise you. But, it may take time. There are other spirits that seek him out, for ill and for good. He does have a strong heart, so do not fear for his safety." The dragon was gone shortly after that.

Jeremiah Starr stayed at the altar silently for a while. Then, he softly said, "I hope I can bring peace to his soul at last."

* * *

April 27

Tipa

After several long days in the desert, Polaris found Tipa. He arrived just outside of town in mid-afternoon. Kids were running by him on the path as he came in, apparently just out of school. Managing to catch the attention of some of the slower walkers, he asked, "Where can I find Professor Arboreal's lab?"

"It's that building over there with the large greenhouse attached to it," a boy in a green cap told him.

"Okay. Thank you."

And it was indeed a large greenhouse, larger than the actual lab. There was a mass of green inside, from trees and bushes. Polaris went to knock on the glass door, but it opened automatically for him. He stepped inside and looked around at the researchers there. Three were working at a bank of computers; none of them were the Professor. Who should he ask about her?

The door then opened again behind him as a child's footsteps came in. "Oh hey, it's that guy," Stan said, shifting his yellow backpack.

"Hi Polaris!" Eve said, grinning at him, then hugging the Smeargle. "Hi Picasso. Nice of you to drop in."

He smiled back. "Hello Eve, Stan. I came in because I wanted to show you and the Professor something. My Glasink evolved."

"What?" Stan asked, his eyes bugging out.

Eve squealed and jumped up. "Really, really?" When he nodded, she added, "Oh wow, that's great! Aunt Yvette!" She ran on into the greenhouse, her black ponytails bouncing along after her.

"How did you get it to evolve?" Stan asked, trotting alongside him as Polaris and Picasso followed Eve. "We were trying all sorts of things."

"I guess I did something you didn't," he replied.

Inside the greenhouse, the air was damp and heavy. Eve was hopping by a woman who was kneeling by some plants. The Professor looked similar to Eve, with long black hair and an Oriental face. Giving her niece a sign to calm down, she stood up and bowed her head to Polaris. "Ah, you must be the artist friend of Diego and Eve. Good afternoon, Polaris, I'm Yvette. I'd shake your hand, but I've been doing gardening." She held up hands black with soil.

"Good afternoon," he said, bowing back. "And it's fine."

"And Icewin is a Glasyrm now?"

"Yes. I knew you were doing research on them, so I decided to bring him back for you to see."

"Thank you. Give me a moment to clean up and I'll meet you outside. This probably isn't the place to call on him." She went into the lab, to the washroom.

A few minutes later, they were all out in the side yard with Icewin. Yvette wanted to scan the ball, while the kids looked over the new Dragon. "So the one I caught got to his final evolution," Stan said, trying to reclaim the Glasyrm.

Icewin turned to him and snorted, narrowing his eyes. His breath was frosty, forming little ice crystals on Stan's eyebrows. Stumbling back, the boy was spooked, then angry.

Eve laughed. "Looks like he doesn't think you did much," she teased.

"Yew," Yvette said, handing down her scanner. "Look over this for your notes."

"Oh, yes auntie." She took the machine and looked over the screen.

"So what happened when he evolved?" Yvette asked him.

"It was after we defeated the Dragon Gym. Before it, I had given him a Glasyrm Scale I had found; it seems to encourage him, but I'm not certain. Icewin helped out on the first three Pokemon of the Gym." He patted Icewin's snout; the dragon nudged him affectionately. "I got a Dragon Roar TM for winning, and he seemed to get excited when I announced it. So I taught it to him, and after he tested it out once, he evolved. And it seems to have made him happier with me training him."

"I see." Yvette looked over him with an appraising eye. "I wonder if it was that specific move or something to do with the scale. I have noticed that with older Glasinks, they never learn Dragon typed moves on their own. But the Arkahn people knew about tutoring moves, even if they didn't have TM technology. And there is that record of a Glasyrm teaching a Glasink a new move. I'll have to contact a few other Trainers and have them try TMs or tutors for that typed move, or the scale alone. So he seemed aware that the move would help?"

"I believe so." Icewin made an approving growl. "Also, he's offered to take me to where he was born. We figured that we could take Eve with us, if she wants."

Eve's eyes brightened. "Really? May I?" She looked to her aunt.

"You should ask your parents," the Professor said, patting her shoulder. "But I would appreciate it if you went as well."

"It's some distance, so I thought we'd go on Saturday," Polaris offered. "First though, I need to teach Icewin Dive. The place is underwater."

Yvette nodded. "Dive, is it? I can lend you that HM and Surf in exchange for helping us with this research."

HM? While they were reusable, they were difficult to make and thus rare and pricey. "Are you sure about that?"

"It's fine. With every Pokemon that we learn about, we expand our knowledge of the world as a whole. Glasyrm and its family has been an elusive mystery, especially with the tight lips of the Dragon Clan. We scientists wish they wouldn't do that, but they are a strong tradition."

* * *

May 1st, year 59

Polaris had taught both Icewin and Varia Surf. The Scyllamone giggled and tried to tickle his neck. "I taught you that for use in battle," he told her flatly. "Not for field use."

She huffed and pouted, but he ignored her. Each Pokemon needed different kinds of attention and discipline, he was learning. He didn't need to be as strict with Tesla, as she was strongly disciplined as it was. He had to act strict to Lethe, even if he wasn't really. He had to be firm with Varia, or her flirting would get too much. In a different way, he had to make sure Picasso didn't get too bored or ignored. Jessu was catty, so he had to be most patient with her, while Icewin still had a streak of pride and needed to be guided into behaving properly.

At least things were never boring.

Varia couldn't use Dive, but Icewin took it readily. Polaris tried it out for himself, but he found it difficult to remain underwater on his own power for long. Considering that type influence might already be passing to him, Desolaire's Fire type would be the cause of that. On Saturday, he returned the HM discs to Yvette, then left with Eve on a ferry to the northeastern part of the Sea of Jasper.

"I brought my Pokemon and my computer," Eve said, clutching her backpack as they crossed the water on the Glasyrm. "I've got a few Pokeballs left."

"That's good; there might be interesting Pokemon down there." Polaris clutched Icewin's white fur, but let the Pokemon find his own way. "So what are you doing back home? I thought you were Diego's traveling apprentice.'

"I still am," she said. "But I'm taking advanced courses in Pokemon science. Well, advanced for my grade. Stan decided to study with my aunt for a while too, partly to recover the school grade he lost last year. And Diego is focused on preparing for the Horizon Island Challenge in November, so we felt he might do better alone. Are you going to be there?"

"I have three badges left to get, so we'll see."

"Whatcha got left?"

"Steel, Ghost, and Poison. I want to spend some more time training, but I've got six months. I might be able to pull it off."

"You can do it," the girl said, smiling in encouragement.

"Kruu kruu," Icewin said, lifting his head.

"I think he's ready to dive," Polaris said, right before Icewin rose up, then dove deep into the water.

As they dropped underwater, a bubble of air appeared around Polaris and Eve. This was the power of Dive, to convert the oxygen in water to something that could protect land-dwellers when underwater. Other Water Pokemon watched them curiously, but did not approach Icewin. Polaris even spotted a Gyarados swimming around to its own purpose.

They went deeper and the water got murkier. But then a white glow appeared below them. It spread of miles, so it seemed, a vast complex of crystal, coral, or maybe even ice. As they approached it, the water was getting uncannily cold.

Eve touched his arm. "That must be Moonflower Caverns!" she said. "You can access it from seashore caves, but it takes a long hike to get all the way out here. And the safest route there had a rockslide block the way."

"It must be amazing inside," Polaris replied.

Icewin continued diving, past the upper levels of Moonflower Caverns. He nearly passed it entirely, but then slowed and rose back up. Underneath the main complex now, Polaris could see an opening that had an odd blue shimmer. The Glasyrm went up through the opening and into the lowest level of Moonflower Cavern.

And it was amazing inside. While chilly enough to turn their breath into mist, the white crystalline structure looked alien, like it could have been the moon. The surfaces looked untouched and slick, although they found no difficulty in moving. The rooms and even the hall ahead seemed large enough for Icewin to move though, although they would have to walk just behind him. Turning to them, Icewin nodded to the hall ahead.

"I think he wants to take us somewhere in particular," Polaris said.

"Hang on a sec." She had her backpack open, searching through it. She came out with a GPS module, then shut the backpack and put it back on. "Okay, I'm gonna make a map. Let's go."

Icewin led them through several passages and caverns. They encountered a number of Pokemon. Mostly Ice types, but there were a few Golbats and Geodudes. Pools of water, perhaps connecting to the sea, held Water Pokemon; he saw an Octillery once. There was even a Duskull haunting around for some reason; it watched them from behind its skull mask, shifting its one red eye between sockets to not lose track.

After an hour and a half of travel, Icewin brought them to the largest cavern so far. He could perch quite comfortably on the ridges along the wall, while lead down to a large circular opening. In the middle of that opening, there was a cluster of ice crystals grown tightly together, nearly six feet tall, but just three feet wide. But more amazing, hanging from the ceiling was another crystal cluster. It was shaped like a human heart, almost exact with the positioning of veins and muscles. Through this heart, there pulsed a liquid blue energy. Was it throbbing? After observing for a while, Polaris had to admit that the normally rigid crystals were beating in an unheard heartbeat.

"Oh wow," Eve said, staring up at the heart crystal. "I had no idea something like that was around here."

"Do you know about this place?" Polaris asked Icewin. When the Pokemon nodded, he pulled off another Pokeball and summoned Lethe. "Would you mind translating for us?"

'It is no problem,' the Katisp responded. She floated over to Icewin. "Haashooo?"

While they were talking, Eve brought out some more equipment and began taking scientific observations. Polaris sat on one of the smaller ridges and took out a sketchbook to make some quick drawings. He only got through one before Lethe came back over to them.

'The Moonflower Heart Crystal is the source of the cold energy that sustains the caverns,' Lethe explained. 'It is based on ancient power and magic. It keeps the ice from floating to the surface, or melting. Thus, it cannot be removed without completely destroying the Caverns. As a young Pokemon, he was told that in ancient days, a powerful Arkahn sage created the Moonflower Heart, with the help and blessing of Misaillo. It was originally on the surface, acting as a temple to the Spirit Clan, particularly Misaillo. His kind was brought down from a glacier far north of the Sea of Jasper, out of the region, to act as temple guards. And thus they remain, even though they are far from their origins in the arctic regions.

'But then there came an evil sage, who sought to take control of the Heart Crystal, and thus Moonflower Temple. To save it, the temple priests submerged it underwater, to where it lies now. It became more difficult for humans to reach, so over time, they abandoned it to the Pokemon. There are some Pokemon that maintain the Heart Crystal, and others that take care of other parts of the old temple. That includes the Glasyrms and their younger kin.'

"So this place was built by the Arkahn people," Eve said; she was taking notes, as it was difficult to record a telepathic message. "They could do a lot of magnificent things without technology. Do you think anybody left would know how to do this kind of thing?"

'Misaillo and the Spirit Clan would know,' Lethe said. 'But that would require more faith and dedication. They would not release such powerful secrets as the Heart Crystals to those who do not believe, to those who have no faith or goodness.'

"Heart Crystals?" Polaris asked. "So are there more places like this?"

'They were old when I was being trained. I believe Jade Castle has a Heart Crystal. But it must be inactive, because that one is said to have been made with Zepharia's blessing, and thus it should inhabit the sky.'

"A flying castle?" Eve asked in some excitement. "Hey, I bet if someone could get that Heart Crystal reactivated, more people would come to believe that the powers of the Spirit Clan are real. I mean, I guess it should be one of the Arkahns to do it, but a lot of them that I meet don't seem to be that interested in the old ways."

"Are you interested in the Arkahn religion?" Polaris asked her.

"Mostly their culture and history, but yeah, I am. They can do so many things that current science says are impossible or impractical. And there was one time when I spoke with an Arkahn warrior about the Pokedex. I showed him the entry on Baltoy and he said that we had some things wrong. So they know a lot."

'This place certainly has the aura of Misaillo,' Lethe said, looking up at the Heart Crystal. She seemed absorbed in thought or observation, so Polaris let her stay out. Icewin rested while the two humans made their own observations of the room.

As he was touching up a drawing of Icewin resting, Polaris felt a chill that wasn't from the Heart Crystal. It was an otherworldly chill, that of a demon. Would the Heart Crystal be enough to deter it? Still, he went over to Eve and handed over his tassel charm. "Here, take this for a minute."

"Huh?" She took hold of it, puzzled. "Why?"

"There's some spirit in this place that may wish us ill. It's certainly not friendly."

Lethe came to attention and Icewin opened his eyes halfway. The Katisp looked around, then came down to Polaris and Eve. 'We may need assistance,' she stated.

For her to suggest that, she must be worried. Then there came a strange sound, a slithering growl that sounded hungry and ruthless. "What was that?" Eve asked, now scared.

"I'm not sure, but hold onto that." He clasped her hand with the tassels. "You heard Lethe: if you have faith, there is power. This will protect you, but you must have faith in Desolaire and Lunarium."

"O-okay." She put the charm close to her chest and closed her eyes. From it, Polaris felt a pulse of power. She did believe. So she should be able to get away unharmed if it got bad.

He got up and turned to his Katisp. "What do you suggest?"

She gestured to the ice crystals on the floor. 'That is a powerful golem called Regice. Its purpose is to guard the Heart Crystal. Awaken it and it should help fight the demon.'

"All right, I'll give it a try." He wasn't quite sure how to awaken it, but he had an idea. He came close to the ice crystal and said, "Regice, the Heart Crystal is in danger. Awaken and help us fight off the demon that comes here."

Nothing happened. He couldn't even feel a change in aura. Lethe put a hand on his shoulder. 'Be more authoritative. It may have the power of a god, but it was built to obey.'

He nodded. So, more authoritative… he should be like his father, Polaris thought, as he commanded wayward spirits. Or when he had to be firm with his Pokemon. "Regice, as the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium, I command that you awaken. Demons are lurking in Moonflower Temple and you, as guardian of this place, must perform according to your sacred duty."

And Regice awoke to that command. Markings appeared on the crystals, small dots in odd patterns. The crystals shifted themselves, moving much like the Crystal Heart above beat. From its sides, arms shifted out. Lifting itself off the floor, two small legs appeared. Although no face appeared, there was an icy "Koooooo," that came from the golem Pokemon. "Thank you for awakening me, Master," it stated.

Even though he had commanded it, Polaris felt anxious about being addressed as Master. Hadn't he called himself just an apprentice? "Yes. I have not seen the demons, but I have felt and heard them."

"They come," Regice stated.

And then, rampaging in from one of the halls, there came a great black creature that seemed part twisted corpse and part ox. It had hoofed feet, bulky hips, a rotted and crooked torso, a leathery not quite human head looking out over its shoulder, and wasted arms. Its tail was a whip, long and split into eight ends. Accompanying it were several animated corpses, human in various states of decay.

"We have waited for someone to enter this chamber, so we could follow," the oxen demon said. "Now we will destroy the Crystal Heart."

"Not under my watch," Regice said, raising its left arm and summoning a blizzard to strike within the chamber. It hit the demons hard, but not the Pokemon nor the humans. "Master, do what you can to protect the girl."

"Right," Polaris said, stepping back towards Eve. Even though this cavern was large, with Icewin fighting he didn't think it'd help to call out most of his Pokemon. He did release Jessu. "Back up anyone you can. Lethe, Icewin, help Regice."

'You should use your own skills,' Lethe suggested. 'I think we can trust her.' Then she turned her attention to picking off the lesser demons.

"Those are real demons," Eve said when he got close. Her voice was a horrified kind of awe.

"Right, they are." He took the tablet out of his backpack. In the past few weeks, he had been trying to figure out how to make shielding skills work. He used his best symbol to summon a gray shield around him and Eve. He wasn't sure which defense it was, so he would have to keep alert to any of them getting close.

"How did you get to be the apprentice of the Sky Twins?" she asked, touching his arm.

"I'm really not sure," he replied. "I won't know until I awaken them"

Icewin roared, startling the demons but not affecting Regice, Jessu, or Lethe. It was difficult to see the tiny Kuni, but every now and then, there was a shimmer of a boost skill around the other three. Focused on the strongest demon, Regice used powerful strikes that broke even the enchanted ice crystals if it hit the walls. Lethe was making short work of the lesser corpses, turning them to dust in defeat. The oxen demon tried to use a fiery punch to stop Regice, but then Jessu was able to Wish him back to health.

For a moment, Regice stepped back. In that time, Icewin lunged forward and tackled the oxen demon. Lethe still had another three corpses to get rid of, so Regice went in to strike again. In short time, the oxen demon screamed in defeat, vanishing into the same black dust as its followers.

"They may try again," Regice noted. "Master, if you would strengthen the protection spell on the Heart, I should be able to handle any others."

"I'm not sure how to do that," Polaris said.

"It is a chant. I can teach you."

After performing the little chant, the Crystal Heart began to pulse blue with every beat. They said goodbye to Regice, then left the cavern. On the way out, Eve spotted a Glazicle and managed to capture it, so she had a Pokemon to observe and study closely.

* * *

"Ei-o," Picasso said, tugging and Polaris' sleeve.

"Hmm, what is it?" Polaris asked. The Smeargle handed him a notebook. "You want me to look at it?"

He nodded, so he skimmed through it. There seemed to be a sequence of pictures. Was he trying to relate something through art? Might as well see what he wanted to say. The first picture was of several Smeargles, three of them obviously young. There were a few symbols pointing about, clarifying things. A female sign was pointing to the adult and one of the cubs, while a male symbol pointed to one cub who had a blue tipped tail. By the third cub, there was an odd symbol of a one-eared Smeargle, one that Picasso used to sign his drawings.

"Your family, huh? You had a sister and a brother who was a shiny."

Picasso nodded, then huffed.

"Must have been hard to get attention. Collectors go crazy over shiny Pokemon." He flipped the page to a drawing that seemed to show just that. People fussed over his shiny brother and he was soon sold for a high price. Picasso was sold for an average price, although as the third picture showed, after his sister.

The next drawing showed him with his first Trainer. The Trainer, who was depicted with large, bushy, but angry looking eyebrows, was trying to get him to battle when Picasso wanted to paint. Following that, the sketchbook showed that Picasso grew to like battles, but not until after his first Trainer was tired of dealing with him. His life became a predictable pattern after that. He got passed on to other battlers who got disappointed in how few hits he could take, or frustrated with his behaviors. Few of his Trainers had any interest in art or drawing. Those that did, like the humorous over-dressed gaudy version of Mrs. Jacobs, were not very good or just hobbyists. He would try to prove himself, but in a failing manner. For instance, drawing caricatures on bed sheets. Or refusing to withdraw from battle when ordered.

But then he met Polaris, who understood the way he thought and let him do drawing and battling as he wanted. And he had seen all sorts of amazing Pokemon, even those of legends, something that his shiny brother probably would never do. He really wanted to go see Lunarium as well.

"Santiperra said it was against the rules Lunarium set down," Polaris said. "I'm sorry. I'd like for you to come along, but I have to follow their rules. She is one of my masters, remember."

Picasso grumbled and walked off to where his cushion was in the Pokecenter's room. He gave Polaris hurt looks for the rest of the day.


	22. Light and Dark

May 16

St. Rosaline

He arrived at St. Rosaline at the end of the lunch rush, so he dropped in on Megan's Diner. She was so pleased to see him that she took some time off to sit and talk with him. "I think you might be able to manage the last three Gyms before November," she said, clasping his wrist. "School's about out, but you don't really have as much competition from the younger set. You should go for it."

"We'll try," he replied, taking her hand in his. "And thank you so much for all the encouragement you've given me. I'm always glad to get a note from you, even if it's short and silly."

She smiled warmly at him. "You're welcome. I really do believe in you."

That made him happy. But then he felt like teasing her. "Well I heard from certain sources that you're going to be working through the festival, even though you were the one to make me promise to return."

Blushing a bit, Megan chuckled. "I know, I'm sorry. But it was a good opportunity and I'll get a great chance to put my diner's name out there. I will keep the last evening free, when the ball will be."

"Ah that. Well I don't work with the hall anymore, so I can't get tickets to that."

"I figured that." She put a pair of her fingers up. "That's why I made sure to buy two for us."

Had she? Polaris already felt self-conscious. "Ah, I see. Then I'll have to find something really nice to wear for it."

* * *

May 18

St. Rosaline

It was time once again for the Grand Festival in St. Rosaline. There were other Contest Halls in Jasper, but they had elected to keep this town for their biggest event. And with the change in management, not just in Rosaline but in other areas, the competition was noticeably different, with more young Coordinators able to make their Grand Festival debut. Was that the reason this year seemed to be so bright and merry?

Or maybe that's just how he perceived it, Polaris thought. Last year, he had felt so alone and isolated. Now he felt an excitement like that of the Festival Coordinators, and he kept seeing familiar faces in the crowd. He found himself laughing a lot, and smiling almost constantly. It was such a magnificent feeling that he didn't want it to go away.

He set up his drawing booth early that morning, before the crowds came out. Jack had managed to get a sunshade for him; it had been a dusty blue canvas with yellow stripes, but he got it cleaned up so that it looked decent. Pulling some things out of his long-term storage, he set up a card table and a small set of drawers so that his drawing area was separated from where visitors were walking. A durable rug was placed for larger Pokemon to sit on (although anything too big would have to be drawn elsewhere), while a comfortable chair was out for the Trainers or any small Pokemon. For himself, he had a stool and a plain easel.

After putting a large dark blue cloth over the table, he put out some business cards, several sample drawings, order forms, and a standing sign that offered his services. The main focus for today was drawings, but he offered a few different sizes, a choice of medium (charcoal, pencil, colored pencil, or oil pastels), and framing work. He also offered to do pre-sketches for paintings so long as the customer did not mind waiting an extra period of time for that work to be done. For a preview of that, he put up two paintings: an old one of Sienna the Sudowoodo, and a more recent one of the two guide Pokemon, Lady the Houndoom and Lucky the Tracpawh.

And after some insistence from his Pokemon, he added a line to the bottom of the sign that said, 'And for 15 Poke, you can get a drawing done by Picasso the Smeargle. I do not guarantee the accuracy, quality, or sense of his drawings, but he would love to draw for you too.' It cost less than his cheapest offer, but then as he noted, he couldn't be sure what Picasso would come out with. Before long, the Smeargle had a stylized portrait of Polaris up with the other sample drawings, marked with the one-eared Smeargle symbol that he used for himself.

Polaris set up some files in the drawer for the order forms of those who wanted things framed, as well as any painting orders. Another set of files could hold any of the smaller portraits that were waiting to be finished in a frame shop. Underneath the table, he had a large plastic container to hold onto larger drawings to be framed. He figured that most of the customers would want to pick up framed pictures later in the festival, so he would need to bring out a standing storage bin tomorrow. But then some customers were okay with just taking the drawing itself.

Then he got some drinks for himself, Picasso, and his other Pokemon that were hanging about, then waited for the day to start up.

* * *

It was a busy day. A great many people recognized him as the former Contest Hall artist. Those who did not know about him would hear about it from others, then come out of curiosity to see if he was that good. Although fewer, some Arkahn people remembered his name from Jesrin and were shocked to find out that he wasn't an Arkahn himself. Surprisingly, they didn't give him a lot of trouble for that. One even said, "Well you must have the blessings of Zepharia at least, given that you created an authentic protection scroll, made by the old methods even."

"I've come to admire your gods greatly," he told that man, who then arranged for him to draw a portrait of his two children.

Megan kindly offered to fix his meals for free, like she was for her festival workers. Of course he wasn't going to deny that, but he also gave her a portrait of her and Greeble the Ariados in exchange. That one was soon displayed at her booth.

And there was such variety this year in what he was asked to draw. There was a Slugma, a Hitmonlee, a Gemselle, a Cirrow, a Frabbit, a Tutalip… and he had two team portraits on that first day alone. That included Eve, who had the Cirrow, along with Stan's former starter Fluerdifir, her newest addition Glazicle, an Atille, and an Enculamb. Diego had ordered a team portrait too, but since his team included a Salamence, had scheduled it to be done later outside of town.

In the evening, Polaris tracked down the fried poffin stand and ordered a ten of them. Then he went to meet Megan and Greeble at the beach. "Here, I got snacks for everybody," he offered, opening up the box.

"Oh great," Megan said, smiling. "Always got to get the fried poffin at the Grand Festival. Do you have Savory? That's what me and Greeble like."

"Sure, that's what I thought you'd like." He offered them both that. "I guessed on the rest, so I hope you all get ones you like. I even got you one, Garnet."

"It's okay, Garnet," Megan added. "I've heard about you from Polaris, and you can hide with Icewin or Tesla if anyone else comes around."

"Is it okay?" She appeared in her small form, looking at Megan while Polaris passed out the other poffins. Then she looked to him when he offered her a Mild flavored one. "Thank you for thinking of me too."

"It's no trouble," Polaris said, taking the last Sweet one for himself. "You've helped me a lot. I feel like a lot of what's happened wouldn't be possible without you."

"Maybe." She took a bite of her snack, then said, "I remember the Grand Festival last year. That's when I first saw you. Both you and Megan, actually."

"Really?" Megan asked. "I don't remember you."

Garnet nodded. "I was hiding out at the wishing stone booth your friend Jynana was running. And I still remember what you both wished for." She smiled at that thought. "I think, even if only one of you got the stone in the jar, that you both got what you wished for."

At that, Megan laughed. "I hadn't really been serious about it… but you could be right."

"Why, what did you wish for?" Polaris asked.

She brushed her hair back, but seemed to be blushing a bit. "Oh, I might tell you later. What about you?"

"I just wished for my life to get better." He smiled as he looked around to the Pokemon with them. "That's certainly happened, more than I expected. And things are looking even better for the future, so I'm really happy with how things are going."

"It's good when things are like this," Megan agreed.

"Gweha!" Greeble cheered, making them both laugh. Jessu darted at him playfully, then the Kuni darted back over to Polaris and asked something.

"She wants to know about these Contests," Garnet said. "You've spoken a little about them. I saw a few myself when I was observing you."

He brushed his hair back. "The contests, huh? I know a lot about them, but I got to dislike them after a while. But they are nice when they're done right. They're for showing off how your Pokemon looks and how talented they are, beyond just battling like the League. There's five categories, of Beauty, Cute, Cool, Tough, and Smart. You saw a few today who were posing for drawings. They do look amazing."

'So it's a showy thing?' Lethe asked, still with some of her poffin in her hands. 'There's not much use for show if there's nothing behind it.'

Jessu fussed about that, probably about how talents weren't just showy. Tesla didn't seem too interested, although Varia was coyly playing with her tentacles.

"We could go check one out this week," Polaris mentioned. "There'll be lots of events to choose from."

* * *

…year 49

It was extremely early morning when the younger Polaris first arrived in St. Rosaline, with the sky still dark. Over in the east, there were signs of light but not enough to chase most of the stars away. He was starting to feel tired, after losing the second wind of energy that had kept him awake through the night's journey. Sienna seemed concerned about him, so he carried the Sudowoodo as he made his way off the docks.

One of the dockworkers, who seemed to be as tired as he was, directed him to the Pokecenter. That was the only place he could think of going in this strange city. He wasn't sure what to do now. While he was now free to do as he wanted, he couldn't think of what to do. He needed to find someplace to stay, some way to get some money… and his mind was rather muddled from exhaustion. He headed for the center.

As he expected, it was open and quiet. A male nurse was whistling as he cleaned various devices before the next shift started. "Good morning," he called out, then turned to see who had come in. Then he put down the cleaning rag and came over. "Hey, you all right?"

"Um, yeah," Polaris lied. "I've just had a long trip and I'm tired. Could I get a room?"

"Huuusuuu," Sienna said softly, then looked to the nurse. It was odd, Polaris thought. She was normally so quiet around people she didn't know. Maybe because he was a Pokecenter nurse, she felt safe with doing so.

"Are you sure?" the nurse asked, clasping his free wrist before he could think to pull it away. "You don't look fine. It's more like you're going to pass out. Come here and lie down on the couch."

"I'm just tired," he murmured, but he let the nurse pull him over to the couch.

"And you've got a black eye that hasn't healed up. What happened to you? What's your name?"

For a moment, Polaris had a strange feeling that it didn't matter what he told this man, that it would all be over with before he knew it. But he also felt an instinct that he shouldn't listen to that feeling. "I'm Polaris Starr," he told the nurse as he sat down on the couch. "I ran away from home. It's… not good."

His memory blurred at some point after that. He probably had passed out as the nurse thought. Much of what happened after that, he knew because others had told him. The nurse had called the hospital and got him transferred there. He had also called up a local government agency that dealt with runaways and missing children. And while he had been ill, Sienna had insisted on staying by his side.

When he had recovered enough to meet with a social worker, he managed to convince her to not send him back home. Instead, he was placed with a foster mother, Ms. Meadows. She had a rather distinctive home.

* * *

…present.

Polaris knew that he was dreaming, as he found himself in the home of his foster mother. Ms. Meadows had been an artist too, but she worked in ceramics. As a result, her house was filled with many of her works, filled with plants or flower petals, change or wrapped candies. She also had many photos in her home, of her family and her own children, of friends, of grandchildren. While she was old, Ms. Meadows disliked being called elderly and was strongly independent. Certainly independent enough that the social worker trusted her to look after a runaway teenaged boy.

She had been nice, but he'd never felt comfortable in calling her mother. Sometimes he told people that she was a great aunt of his. But she had died unexpectedly a couple of years ago. Polaris thought of her fondly now. Still, why was he dreaming here?

From the kitchen, he heard a cheery voice singing a foreign song. Was it foreign? Or was it a Pokemon? Polaris walked into the kitchen, but didn't immediately see anyone. He still heard the song… it was coming from the teakettle. He went over and pressed the switch that flipped the spout's cover off.

A flash of black darted out of the kettle, accompanied by a hearty chuckle. Darkrai was soon beside him. "Be grateful," he said in a voice one might conspire with. "I decided to meet you on neutral grounds. I could have met you in what you remember of the catacombs of Mount Pyre."

He tensed at first, but then relaxed. From that, he could tell that Darkrai truly didn't mean him harm. "I see. Thanks then. Is this about your test?"

"My test?" The phantom put his hand to his chin, then grinned. "I don't feel that serious tonight. How about we play hide and seek?"

"Is that what you were doing in the tea kettle?" he asked.

"Great!" Darkrai said, seeming to take that for a yes. "We have all of your mind for a playground. Of course, sometimes the mind is a scary place… and I have an advantage because I know how to find people in their own minds. But if you are someone who would be an apprentice to my old friend and ally, maybe you have a few advantages of your own. I hide first!" Then he vanished.

So then, a game of hide and seek in his own mind. If he were playing the game in Ms. Meadows' house, he would have known a few spots to check (and a few better ones to hide). But this was a dream and not reality, so hiding could be done in more places than before.

Now that he was actually hiding, Darkrai was no longer singing. Polaris walked around the house, looking for anything out of place. Things seemed to be as he remembered. Then he went into the room he stayed in and saw a drawing on his bed. Although that was normal, he went to see what it was.

It was a teenaged couple who looked afraid of something out of frame, something with a sharp shadow and a sharp knife. It wasn't typical but… it was one of his drawings.

* * *

His eyes felt dry and crusty when he woke up. Right, he had been crying before he'd fallen asleep. At school, his girlfriend… former girlfriend had dumped him because she got asked out to a dance with a more popular guy. Yesterday had been bad throughout, and not just with that. One of his teachers had embarrassed him in class, someone had stuck gum on his locker's handle, he had burned part of dinner, and a host of other things which would have been mere annoyances on other days. Ms. Meadows had tried to cheer him up, but it had just made him irritated with her.

Part of Polaris didn't want to get up today. It'd probably just turn out bad again. But he was thirsty, so he sat up and checked the glass he kept in his room. It was empty. Underneath it, there was a picture he had drawn of his ex and her new boyfriend about to be murdered. It had satisfied some of his anger last night and he'd considered posting it online, but the internet had gone out.

Now that he looked at it, the drawing made him shudder. Maybe it was a good thing that he couldn't access the internet last night. He wasn't like this, it was just… yesterday had been so awful and he had been in such a dark mood.

He decided to burn the drawing so there was no evidence it had ever existed.

* * *

That drawing. He had gotten lucky in that he had the chance to cool down before he let anyone else see it. Otherwise, the social worker assigned to him would have wanted him checked out by a therapist to make sure he wasn't disturbed. It had just been something he'd done in a fit of passion. When Polaris picked it up, it turned to ashes.

And Darkrai appeared in the room. "There's always some darkness in the hearts of living beings," he said. "That jealousy and anger… it is natural to feel that way when hurt. But one should know how to face those feelings and then let them go. If everyone acted on every impulse and thought that came into our minds, the world would be a terrible place. Knowing what is in the dark and what deserves to stay there is something you must know to earn wisdom."

"Knowing what is there and what deserves to stay, huh?" Polaris nodded. "It would be."

The phantom tapped him on the nose. "Learn it. Okay, I'm hiding again." He vanished.

In a blink, Polaris found himself in a new place: the Rosaline Contest Hall. Glancing around, he could figure that this was when Trudy had been in charge. There was the arrangement of pink and white flowers on the counter, for one, and a display of his sketches, for another. He looked over those sketches, but nothing about them stuck out like the old drawing in his bedroom had. So he looked around some more.

There were the usual things around: forms that Coordinators had to fill out, advertisements for classes, display trophies. Also, one of the tables had an assortment of accessories on it. The group included a green ribbon bow. That reminded him of something.

* * *

Sienna was sitting still on the table, pretending to be an ornament. In one of the seats, Polaris was looking over a list he'd kept of what Pokemon he had drawn as winners. And there was something he noticed: it was a lot of the same ones over and over again. Were they just that much better than the rest? And there was the records list for this year. It was only September, but a few Coordinators already had enough ribbons for the Grand Festival next May. The gap between them and the next contenders was considerable.

"How are things going, Polaris?" his boss asked, stopping by the table.

"Hmm?" He looked up and smiled bashfully at getting caught unaware. "Oh, good, things are good. I was just noticing… it must be really hard for new Coordinators in this region."

"Why would you say that?" she asked, curious, maybe even cautious.

"Well the older ones win an awful lot of Contests, so it'd be hard for up and coming Coordinators to earn any ribbons, much less enough to make a showing at the Grand Festival." He paused. "I suppose the masters are just that good."

"That would be so. A lot of them know the inner workings of the Contest League too, so they know how to perform. This makes the judges more critical of novice mistakes."

Polaris tapped the table. "Isn't there a Beginner's Hall somewhere in Jasper? There was one in Hoenn where you could only compete if you had less than five ribbons total over your career."

Trudy shook her head. "No, we don't have anything like that. The classes usually cover the novices, although sometimes they don't even learn all the secrets." Then she smiled and patted his shoulder. "You know, you're a nice kid and your Sudowoodo is a pretty specimen. I could take you on as an apprentice and teach you the trade secrets. That could give you an extra edge."

Looking to his Pokemon (who was still motionless), he shrugged. "I'm not sure I'd like the spotlight. But we'll think about it."

"Please do. Here, you can try this on her and do a few class sessions yourself, to see if you like it." She handed him a green bow with was made up of a dozen long thin ribbons.

* * *

Polaris picked up the green ribbon bow. Maybe this was it. He had declined Trudy's offer in the end, but that was about the time he began to suspect something wasn't right with how the Contest Hall worked in Rosaline. Maybe he should have looked into it deeper, or spoke up to someone sooner. Then again, the fact that it was his sole source of income had kept him mostly quiet.

"You are in the same kind of position that you were then," Darkrai noted, appearing by his side. "You're heading towards a decision that will forever alter your life if you make a certain choice. You may not realize what it is fully… and I'm not about to tell you. But had you taken up her offer, you would have been faced with a great temptation, to fall into the corruption of those winning Coordinators. And if you make a certain decision that is coming up on you fast, you will be faced with an even greater temptation, with the potential for an even greater corruption. But also a greater good if you remember what you learn on your journey to that decision. Do you understand this?"

He considered it for a moment. "You're being vague, so I'm not sure."

Chuckling, Darkai drifted ahead. "Whether you understand or not, it will come. The Dark holds a promise of victory, of debilitating your foes. It holds power, but perhaps not in the sense of other types. But it also holds much temptation, as it is all too easy to go from 'debilitate' to 'humiliate', and even torture. Those who hold the power of Dark must know where to draw the line, and then to never cross it."

He needed to learn to do so, or he would be no better than Lurker. "I see. I'll keep that in mind."

The phantom god clasped his hands together. "Okay, your turn to hide. But I should explain a bit." He changed the settings to Polaris' old apartment, in the area of the living room and the kitchen. "I'll give you some time to think of an object which holds some memory, something that you think is connected to the Dark. It will appear along with miscellaneous other things, and then I will have to find your particular object. Call my name when you're ready. I promise that I won't cheat and peek before then." He then vanished from the scene.

Looking around the apartment, Polaris tried to think of something that would work. A memory that was connected to the Dark type somehow, and an object that represented that. And to better play Darkrai's game, it would be better if it was something that did not seem out of place here. After thinking for a while, he came up with something.

* * *

Something wasn't right. Polaris wasn't sure what, but something didn't… feel or seem right. Maybe it was just how awful this scene was, or how wrong it seemed in comparison to years before. Unless he'd been repressing memories… yet that thought almost sounded wrong too.

But he had to do something. Burning with anger, he snatched the broken paintbrush off the floor. It had a thin grass green handle and brown bristles, tipped with a few flecks of dried paint. "I don't care about what you want!" he shouted at his parents. "I want to paint."

"We just want what's best for you," his mother said sharply.

He pushed past them. "I'd rather die than to give up my art." Then he ran into the living room and pulled Sienna's Pokeball out of where it had been put.

I'd rather die… for a moment, that seemed like a highly tempting option.

But that was just wrong somehow. Polaris clasped the Pokeball to his chest. What was so wrong about things lately? There was a sense nagging in the back of his mind that this wasn't real, that it was some nightmare he was living through. If he'd just look inward, focus, and look outward again…

Then he stopped abruptly. It was that kind of sense, that sixth sense nagging, that had nearly gotten him killed by Kyogre when he was much younger. It was that kind of sense that revealed ghosts, spirits, and even demons. And he did not what to deal with those things again.

Blocking off that inner nagging, he considered running away from home instead.

* * *

That broken paintbrush appeared in his hand. Polaris considered it. Being that it was from his false memories, it was probably a false object. Then again, this was a dream and it was real in his mind. He placed the broken paintbrush on the coffeetable where he usually kept his art supplies. Before long, a sketchbook, an assortment of pencils, a few unbroken brushes, and various other items that he would have around appeared.

That was it. "Darkrai, you may come back."

Before he was even finished, the black Pokemon appeared again. After a quick look around, he said, "Well nothing calls my immediate attention, so good job so far. But what happens when I take a closer look?" He began searching around the living room area where Polaris was standing.

Polaris knew that some highly attuned people could find hidden objects simply by watching the reaction of those who were watching them look. So he turned his attention away from Darkrai and instead looked over a few of his sketches hanging on the walls. The ones he kept like this usually had memories attached, much nicer ones that those he had been considering so far tonight.

It took a few minutes, but Darkrai came over to him with the broken paintbrush. "I believe that an artist of your passion would not keep something like this unless it was significant. And it is."

Smiling, he nodded. "Right. That's it."

He stroked the bristles. "And such a disturbing little memory latched onto it, even if you acknowledge it as faked. So what of this is about the Dark?"

He took a deep breath, then answered, "Well I know I was possessed by a Ghost at the time, but he still clouded my mind and attempted to manipulate me. He did deceive me, but only because I was afraid of what was in the Dark at that time. I must have always had a latent sixth sense, to know that invisible things were out there and feel the power of those around me. But the initial things I saw frightened me, so I refused to look until I was faced with a ghost of a dear friend as well as a demon, neither of which I could afford to ignore. If I had looked into the Dark then, I might have seen past Lurker's illusions. And if I hadn't looked into my dark memories at all, I may not have been able to escape the Destiny Bond meant to kill me."

After a moment of quiet, Darkrai replied, "That is so. As I said earlier, the mind can be a terrifying place, even if it is your own. But if you remain strong and look, you will often find truth in the Dark. I suppose that is all I should do for you, then. Lunarium doesn't work with fear quite as much as I do and I don't want to influence you too much. I will leave this dream for you as a solid memory, so that you may think on it. You should go then, and awaken her and her sister soon. Otherwise, they'll all fall into hibernation once again."

The dream began fading. "Thank you, Master Darkrai," Polaris said before the haze of sleep gripped him again.

The nightmare god smiled in response.

* * *

When he woke up, he felt something odd on his nose. He rubbed at it, grumbling a bit. That just moved the odd pressure from his nose to the right side of his forehead. Opening his eyes, he saw a small dark blue feline face just two inches from his right eye. "Mew?"

"Oh." He stretched a bit, causing the Kuni to take off. "Morning, Jessu."

'Oh, you're awake,' came a sleepy telepathic thought. Lethe drifted into his view, her eyes seemingly heavy. 'Are you okay?'

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, sitting up. Before long, he was nearly knocked down when Picasso got up from the foot of the bed and tackle-hugged him. Polaris smiled and hugged him back. Glancing around, he saw Tesla and Varia were both half-asleep, but watching him too. Icewin was the only one who couldn't fit in the room, but somehow he felt the other dragon was worried too. "Morning. What is it?"

'You seemed to be having nightmares,' Lethe told him. 'It was almost three o'clock and you started crying and struggling. But I couldn't wake you up; none of us could. And then you just calmed back down just after four. It was kind of eerie, but we still couldn't get you up.'

"I see. I'm sorry to have worried you, then." He patted the Katisp's hand. "But I told you about it. It was Darkrai. Remember? I asked to learn more about the Dark type and he said he would come test me some night. It happened to be tonight. I'm fine, really. I'm sure he would have stopped if I was truly going to be harmed."

"Whis bah de, weh merl," Varia said, crawling across the room.

'If both of you say so, then it must be,' Lethe replied. 'Did you pass his test?'

He nodded. "Yes. He told me I ought to awaken Lunarium and Desolaire soon. I am going to have a backlog of paintings to work on after this week and I'm not sure... how long can the others stay awake as long as the twins are sleeping?"

Jessu and Varia didn't seem too certain, but Lethe and Tesla exchanged a few words. Then the Katisp turned to him. 'Considering that Zepharia came awake last December, I would say that you have until a year from then to get the twins awake. Seven months.' Picasso made a comment that made Lethe pause. 'Unless you discount November..? Oh, for the League Championship battles? Right, if we manage to get there, that will take up time.'

"I thought that would be impossible for me to do in a year," Polaris said. "But with the six of you, I believe we could pull it off. All right then. I'll see about reaching Lunarium before June, and Desolaire soon after. If people keep having problems with Desolaire, I want to have plenty of time to speak with her, and give her space if she needs to think things over after I attempt to reach her."

'That sounds like a good plan,' Lethe said for the others.

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Cirrow

Drizzy - **Cirrow** \- Stratosteer

Type: Water

Ability: Torrent

Description: Sort of cow like, Cirrow's main body is made up of thick blue-white clouds with suggestions of legs. It has the head of a cow, light blue again; males have white horn nubs while females do not. Also has a cow tail.

Notes: Cirrow will occasionally spin like Drizzy does, but not as often. The females are tolerant, even docile, while the males tend to aggression. Cirrow are known to occasionally 'rain' on humid days, dribbling water underneath their clouds. This is normal unless it's actually a dry day, in which case you should get your Pokemon checked out by a nurse or doctor. (M. Sheridan)

Key search: Frabbit

Frare - **Frabbit** \- Jacafrare

Type: Fire/Normal

Aiblity: Overheat

Description: Frabbit now stands on its large hind legs, albeit still hunched over some. It has the same fur coloration and length (ginger and cream-tan). Aside from height, the main difference from Frare is that its fire coat now covers its torso, much a vest. While its vest is red-orange, the ear and paw flames have turned orange-yellow. Its ears now lean back at a 50 degree angle and it has small brown nubs in front of the ears.

Notes: Frabbit continues to be a very energetic Pokemon that loves to run. It is highly not recommended as a house pet. But for on the road, it makes for an amusing companion and a handy help for campfires. Traveling Trainers with a Frabbit in tow find it easiest to let them wear themselves out near the end of the day so they don't disturb rest at night. (S. Redbird)

Key search: Attile

**Attile** \- Atlatle

The ancient warrior Pokemon

Type: Rock/Fight

Ability: Rough Skin

Description: Attile looks vaguely like Tyrogue, but made of rough brown rock. Its head appears to have a rough-textured helmet on, with its serious face set back some. It is often kneeling, because its hands are topped by a thick bulge of rock. Its body is hominoid, but blocky (as if someone was wearing heavy leather armor) and its feet are fairly solid. For some reason, it has little tufts of white and black peppered fur: near its ankles, at the bottom of its helmet, edging its body armor.

Notes: Attile can only be resurrected from fossils, specifically those identified as a Rough Fossil. Being an ancient Pokemon, it is still not fully understood, so Trainers should be careful with them. They appear to be territorial, liking to stake out a position on a suitable rock to watch over their claimed domain. It is recommended that this Pokemon be closely monitored around breakable objects. (Y. Arboreal)

Key search: Enculamb

**Enculamb**

The peaceful healer Pokemon

Type: Psychic/Normal

Ability: Immunity/Rubber Body

Description: Enculamb is a white lamb with curly wool. Where it differs is that it has a fanned headdress that includes a blue cross and it has longer tufts of wool on its hooves, formed sort of like wings.

Notes: While Enculamb's healing powers are among the best there are, it tends to be a difficult one to actually use in battle. This is because this lamb instinctively releases a soothing aura as a defense mechanism, often causing a battle to stall for a few minutes. If you wish to use this one as a battler, the general strategy is to use it in team battles, paired with something that could take hits for Enculamb. (J. Short)


	23. To Awaken the Moon

May 25, year 59

St Rosaline

Polaris sat in Megan's dining room. The apartment she had was above her restaurant, accessible by a stairway in back. While it was a decent size, it was sparsely furnished. Even the table he sat at seemed to be little more than a card table, with metal folding chairs. Then again, she seemed to live in her diner. That was much of her life, running her business. Maybe he could soon be a bigger part of her life in the future.

Near him, Picasso was scowling, with his back mostly to Polaris. He had continued trying to ask to go along, but it wasn't happening. So he was going to make certain that everyone knew how displeased he was.

This worried Polaris. The Smeargle had been behaving himself well. But this might push him into misbehaving, even dangerously. "We've spoken about this many times," he said gently, but firmly. "I've gotten far with this task and I don't want to fail on a technicality."

"Hmph." He probably didn't see it as fair. Which, in a way, Polaris agreed with him. But they were dealing with beings of powers far beyond their own.

The young man heard footsteps coming up the stairs and got up. Megan came through the door a moment later. "Hey, good morning. Sorry I held you up."

"It's okay," Polaris said, giving her a small kiss. Then he passed over the Luxury Ball and the Great Ball. "Here, this is Picasso's, and this is Icewin's. Thanks again for taking care of them. I hope they don't cause much trouble." He glanced at the Smeargle, then mouthed, "Especially him."

"Oh, I'm sure I can keep them in line," she replied, smiling. "I know what they like to eat." Then she tried scratching his head.

Polaris chuckled. "You hear that, Picasso? You're going to be getting better food than the rest of us for this week."

The Smeargle grumbled and didn't look pleased.

* * *

East of the Leni River was the town of Delrine. At the south edge of town, there was a grand gate made of dark stones. A large crescent moon was at the top. There was no wall to go along with the gate into the desert. To the west of the gate, there was an old temple made of the same dark stones.

Polaris went inside, followed by the four Maidens. Only Tesla had any trouble coming in doorway, as she had to duck. Inside, the priest met with them. He was a young man with ruffled black hair, tinged slightly orange. "You must be the pilgrim. Welcome to my humble temple; I'm Head Priest Keith. Only because I'm the only priest, obviously, but I'll do my best."

"It's fine," he said. "I was told by Santiperra that I needed a blessing to reach the shrine Lunarium sleeps in."

"I see. I need to give you instructions on how to reach Lunarium's Shrine, and bless the five of you from the demons that roam the desert. Without the presence of many humans or Pokemon, they are more numerous along the way."

Polaris followed Keith deeper into the temple. "I know you haven't actually met her yourself, but what's she like?"

"The moon goddess?" When Polaris nodded, the priest thought on it. "It's difficult to say. She's the quietest one of the Clan and doesn't seem to like a lot of attention. That is why you hear of our leader being called the Prophet of Desolaire despite the fact that she and Lunarium are twins, equal in power. But those who follow Lunarium specifically tend to be very focused on and faithful to her, so we know she is as kind as her sister."

Much of the day was spent getting the blessings done over all five of them, so they spent the night at the temple.

* * *

May 26

Picasso checked on Megan and Greeble. The two were speaking to Nurse Joy about getting the Ariados his yearly check-up. Carefully, he snatched his Pokeball from the blue-haired woman. Then he snuck into the back area where the teleport station was.

Being around humans so much, Picasso had learned to read their language. It wasn't that hard; Smeargles were keen on symbols too, and his mother had taught him and his two siblings the meaning of the Unown. From that to human letters wasn't a big step.

He pushed a chair over to the instruction pad and got up for a better look. He requested transfer to another Pokecenter. When it asked him which one, he pressed 'D'. There were several options, although a window asked if he wanted access to other regions. He accepted the location 'Delrine', then rushed into the teleport chamber to be sent to that Center.

When he appeared and started out the door, that Nurse Joy opened the door in surprise. "I hope you have..." she looked down as he zipped past her and out the front door. "Stop! Someone...!"

After a quick look around, Picasso ducked into an alleyway overgrown with weeds. Then he began searching the desert town. He went through twelve yards before finally coming up with what he wanted: a canteen attached to a belt. It was brightly painted with pink and had a yellow smiley face. Probably some child's toy, but that was even better. He put the belt on, tuck his Pokeball to a clasp, then searched the yard for a faucet.

The only one he could find outdoors was attached to a hose. Huffing, he snuck inside through a flap for small Pokemon. He entered the kitchen and got up on the sink to fill the canteen. A Poochenya came in before long and complained that he was a house invader. Picasso argued back that he was on an important mission, to make sure his Trainer was safe. On hearing this, the canine sympathized, so long as he left after he got the water.

Picasso then headed into the desert.

* * *

This part of the Amarillo Desert was spectacular, different from the Leni River Valley and the long desert route he had traveled. Being on the north western edge, it was transitioning to the richer grounds of the Celane Grasslands. Plant life was more abundant here. It was still hardy things like bramble bushes and tough grasses, things that were dry until the rare rains came in. Then things were colorful and vibrant. But for now, the plants were dry, dusty, and dark.

In contrast, the ground was quite colorful. There was less sand and more sandstone; any impurities led to different tinges of color showing. Much of it was yellow or yellow toned, but streaks of orange, red, brown, and white were prominent. If one looked enough, one might find yellow-green swirls in the rocks or stumble across hidden gemstones. It wasn't his concern now, so Polaris simply admired the scenery.

That didn't do much to alleviate the heat. It wasn't yet summer, but it was already dry and baking here. Earlier, he had cleaned and fixed up the desert outfit he had gotten from Jesrin. That helped, as did some advice from the last time he spoke to Blair. He kept to an unhurried pace, followed the stone markers Keith had told him to look out for, and watched for anything that seemed out of place.

Alongside him, two of the Shrine Maidens helped him. He had some trouble convincing Varia to stay in her Pokeball; the Scyllamone insisted that if her predecessors could to this, she could too. Then Tesla had told her that her predecessors had always forced the group to move at a sluggish pace, with extra care taken so they didn't dry out. Eventually, Varia agreed that it would be unpleasant and unhealthy on her part, so she kept out of walking herself. Jessu had ridden on his shoulder a while, but then the sun beating down on her dark fur had forced her to retreat as well.

But Tesla and Lethe had no issue with it. The Katisp muttered every now and then about the brightness, but she seemed to be using other senses to find potential dangers. Also, the sun was setting now, so she'd be more comfortable soon. And the Garchomp was made for this environment. Her orange and red skin blended with the rocks and ground well, so she was able to disappear from Polaris' sight, but still be nearby watching him. Knowing that she was helping this way, he didn't bother her for it.

Still, it was a very long ways to the shrine for Lunarium. They had been walking all day and he was just now seeing something ahead of them. He heard a howl some distance away that made his hairs stand on end. "Is that one of the demons?" he asked.

'Most certainly,' Lethe said, looking off in its direction.

He heard Tesla from somewhere to his left, but didn't see her.

'It's some distance away, so no danger to us.'

Polaris nodded. "Good. I hope it's not making trouble for someone else."

* * *

The thing was like a Mightyena on steroids, Picasso thought. It was a massive five feet tall at its shoulder, when it stood on all fours. It was broad-shouldered, broad-chested, and broad-jawed. Growling and snarling, an inky substances dribbled from its mouth. That substance stank something horrid to the Smeargle's senses; it would certainly be toxic.

He used Flamethrower against the demon. Unfortunately, the sun was setting, so he lacked the boost of the desert sun. But from the beast's lack of reaction, it wouldn't have done much more. Nothing was working all that well. Picasso had to go with his 'dodge first, attack if possible' strategy if he was going to stand a chance of winning. Or even just staying alive. This wasn't a Pokemon and it would kill him if he gave it the opening.

A howl from the northeast caught the battlers' attentions. The demon jumped back and howled in response. Five more howls came back.

Terror ran through Picasso's veins. What was he to do now? He could barely handle one of these things. How would he take on six?

His vision blurred without warning. 'I will spare you,' a gentle female said. 'But I need you to do something for me.'

* * *

As Keith had said, there was a large stone with the sign for Strength on it. A pair of rails extended past it. Past that, there was a step pyramid of desert stone that appeared to have no other entrance. Using that symbol on the tablet, Polaris was able to slide the stone door out of the way of the underground tunnel. They entered the cooler tunnels and he was able to release Varia and Jessu again.

'This entrance is a maze,' Lethe said. 'And the passages are movable by Lunarium. She can manage this even in her sleep, so our memories are unreliable. There should be riddles to lead you the right way, but we have to hope nothing happened to the pictures.'

When they came to the first fork, there was a diagram done in light green. It was low on the wall, about three feet off the ground. Polaris touched the wall. "This looks like a Smeargle did it. And not that long ago either."

'That's odd,' the Katisp noted. 'They aren't known for living in this desert, even with Lunarium around.'

"Well other than being in Unown symbols, it isn't much of a riddle. It says 'south', so straight ahead."

They went through the tunnels. Every fork in the place had the green Unown text. The riddles became apparent by the third fork, which said brown. One direction had a brown stone in the floor. The seventh, though, was odd. It said 'light' when there was a lit torch by all four doorways.

The four paths seemed identical, as there were more torches lighting each path. Each turned so that it was impossible to see which one did not end in a wall. There was no path that seemed any lighter than the next. On thinking of it, he remembered hearing a story of an old ruins where the lock to one door was only opened by a Pokemon preparing to use Fly.

Perhaps this meant to use Flash? He drew the appropriate symbol and summoned a light. Once he did, three of the torches went out.

Past the curve in the hall, there was a staircase. It led up to another room lit by torches. There was a Pokemon in the middle of the room, motionless. It looked like the darker tassel of the traveler's charm: a pale white orb with dark blue ribbons around and above it, an ornate silver cylinder below that connected to a gathering of dark blue and silver threads. But it was nearly five feet tall, floating a foot off the ground.

'This is Lunarium,' Lethe introduced. 'It is evening, so you may awaken her safely.'

"All right. Do I use the same method?"

'That should work.'

For the next three minutes, he drew the odd Pokemon on the tablet. He had the distinct feeling that Lunarium was watching him. The whole time, he had that feeling of total creative concentration, of the whole world breaking down around him so he as the artist, the Pokemon as the subject, and the tablet as the medium could fuse into one being. It was that unity that he loved about being an artist, which he had lost while in his funk months ago. None of the other summonings had felt like this.

When the drawing was done, he felt half-asleep himself. The threads of Lunarium's tassel were stirring; it seemed to be moving with the rhythm of his breathing, his heartbeat. "Master Lunarium..." he said, then felt overwhelmed, unable to finish.

The orb lit up, as if it were the full moon hanging in the sky. Her ribbons unfurled from their stationary position to form around the orb like a lady's bonnet and arms. In a click, the silver bead undid itself as well, reforming itself as a funnel. The tassel threads fused together into a silky free-flowing skirt, black with a dark blue outer edge, and silver dots like stars. Lunarium now looked much different, like a dainty lady in old-fashioned clothes.

And her aura was far more intense. The creative force within Polaris gripped him like some madness. At that moment, he didn't want to be following some ancient custom that had no connection to him. He wanted to be somewhere quiet where he could paint something. Anything, whatever, just so long as he was involved in art.

"My apprentice, Polaris," she said, her voice elegant and demure. "You are not what I expected in some ways, but you are exactly what has been missing."

"Um, thanks. I, well..." how could he leave gracefully?

"I know what you want to say." Lunarium curled one of her arm ribbons in, then out towards the Maidens. "You know how it is; this proves him. Go take care of the one in your room. We will come for you tomorrow."

'Who's in here with you?' Lethe asked.

"One you know; just take care of him. Polaris, come with me."

He tried to say something to his four Pokemon, but could only manage a wave. While he had felt rushes of inspiration before, none had this crippling of an effect on him. He followed Lunarium to another room. It was a wonderful room, but he found his eyes drawn to the moon Pokemon. When her ribbon brushed against his cheek, he had an impulse to pull out his sketchbook and just ignore her.

"You keep your art supplies in your computer? The technology of your people is a wonder. Take it out and paint something for me."

Although he wasn't sure why she wanted that, he was more than happy to agree. "Okay, give me a moment." He brought out his painting supplies from his armband computer. While he had no idea what he was about to make, he knew something great would come out of this mood.

* * *

May 27th, year 59

When Polaris woke up, his body felt cold and drained. He considered going back to sleep, but something stirred him into sitting up. He was in an odd place. There was a pool of water in a dark stone floor; it was like a mirror. Centered above the mirror pool, there was a torch sitting on metal crossbeams. Above that, the ceiling was darker than the floor, with tiny flocks of mirrors shining in the torchlight.

And in front of him, there was an amazing painting of Megan, somehow framed already. She was in her diner, simultaneously cooking the food and chatting with the customers, as she always did. And he was there at the counter, talking back with a kind of dreamy look to his eyes. And the other customers seemed happy in their own slice of life, being with someone else or chatting along. It made him feel like he could meld right into the painting and be with her.

'Polaris...'

The telepathic voice gave him a shiver. "Lunarium?"

'I am, among other things, a muse able to stir the creative forces within anyone. I have the most effect on those who live by their creativity, whatever form of art they choose. Yet while I like helping artists, I know that it is harmful for them to be in my presence for very long, perhaps even endangering their talents if we meet too often. So you must excuse me for hiding from you after today.'

While he'd never tried mind-altering drugs before, he had a feeling that how he'd been last night was close to that high. "I can understand that. But thank you for helping me with this."

She replied with a gentle laugh. 'I remember your wish. You thought you had lost your art and just wanted things to be better. You hadn't lost your talents or your touch, but great sadness and loss smothered your inspiration. Still, the good nature of your soul shone through and we've seen that you are the best to help us.'

"There's better people out there, I'm sure."

'But you're the one that was found. I spoke to Rubledge and I understand her reasoning. She has earned her forgiveness. And yet…'

"What is it?" he asked, feeling unnerved.

'My sister… I'm having trouble feeling her. And yet, you have her blessing and the agreement that caused us to sleep for so long has been broken.' Her worry was enough to transmit to him.

Although he still felt burned out, he made himself get up. "Well it's good that you can stay with your followers now. But I haven't summoned Desolaire or met with her as I did you. I have dreamed of her sometimes, and I thought I heard her once. I haven't drawn her to the Transcriber, though."

'I don't want something bad to have happened to her,' Lunarium told him, in a way that made him think she might have come to tears if she could cry like that. 'Even if it did let us return to the waking world. Normally, we require extra steps to be allowed in her shrine, similar to mine. But, I'm worried about her and you have the blessings of all of us, somehow. I'll give you the location of where she sleeps. Just go there, as soon as you can make it. If anyone challenges this, just show them the back of the Transcriber and say that it's on my personal request.'

Polaris found that information in his mind as soon as she mentioned it. So he bowed, not certain of where she was. "All right, Master Lunarium. I'll do so."

* * *

June 1

St. Rosaline

Polaris entered Megan's Diner, which was busy as he expected. Picasso trotted alongside him; however, the Smeargle was more subdued than normal. While he claimed to be proud for seeing Lunarium before Polaris, Lethe added that he was also troubled because he had encountered some demons in the desert. Picasso admitted that maybe rushing off wasn't a good idea. Polaris let it be at that, but he had to let Megan know.

However, he didn't see her right off. He waved to the person behind the counter. "Hey Laura. Where's Megan?"

"She's upstairs right now with Jynana," she said, leaving the register for a moment. "But since it's you, it's fine if you come back here to go see her."

"All right, thanks." He walked past the kitchen area and into the stairwell that led up to her apartment.

Megan answered the door quickly. "Oh, Polaris! It's… Picasso?"

"Teshu," the Smeargle said in an apologetic tone.

Smiling, Polaris said, "Yeah, he's okay. The little scamp somehow got to Delrine and found Lunarium before I did."

She dropped down to the Pokemon's eye level. "Still, you made me so worried. You could have gotten badly hurt out there and nobody would be able to find you in time. And then Polaris and I would be really sad."

Picasso put his paw over his nose in a bashful manner. "Oooo?" Then he hugged her.

"You ought to be glad that the gods are watching out for you too," Polaris said. "Just don't take advantage of that anymore."

"We'll forgive you," Megan said, then let the Pokemon go and stood up. "Well I still have Icewin; he should be glad to see you both again."

"Right. Oh, and I heard you have Jynana visiting."

"Yeah, come on in." She stepped back and allowed them in. "We were just discussing how to find him."

"It's good that he's back safe," Jynana said, nodding to Polaris as he came in.

"Right. But I had something to tell you, well, your people and I've already let a few know. I've awoken Lunarium and she says that the agreement has been broken. They won't be going back into hibernation now."

The priestess smiled. "Really? That's wonderful. But what about Desolaire? Have you been able to contact her directly?"

He shook his head. "No, and Lunarium told me to go directly to her shrine to check on her. She's worried. We're not sure what's going on, but… well, I hope I can come back with good news. I'm heading out to the shrine as soon as I stock up on things again."

"Well you just got back," Megan said. "How about I get you something to eat and then you can go? I now it's important, but still," she smiled, "I like having you around."

Polaris blushed at that. "I like being around you too. Okay."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Lunarium

**Lunarium**

Legendary Pokemon of the Full Moon

Type: Dark/Psychic

Ability: Moonlit (regenerates health in active form) and Pressure (in passive form)

Notes: Lunarium with one of the Sky Twins, the two goddesses that lead the Arkahna Spirit Clan and its people. In religious symbols, Lunarium's sign is given at the bottom of a circle, flanked by Zepharia and Misaillo's symbols. From old resources, it seems that Lunarium has two forms depending on if the moon is visible in the sky or not. Her passive form is when the moon is absent, appearing something like a fancy glass tassel, while her active form is when the moon is visible, said to be 'the mysterious woman'.

Lunarium is often praised as the great muse, a follower of all creative crafts. However, the Arkahna people also mention a moon madness for people who 'stare at her too long', so she often keeps to the shadows, appearing to her devotees rarely. It should also be noted that the natives of Jasper call her the Goddess of the Moon. For the purposes of differentiating her from other lunar legends like Cresselia, the Pokedex staff has classified her as being of the Full Moon. (Y. Nocturne)

Pokedex entry updates: on the Spirit Clan Legends.

Zepharia- Ability: Blustery (controls the wind)

Hu-kyo- Ability: Storm Charge (controls electrical storms)

Misaillo- Ability: Fog Cloak (controls fogs and mists)

Santiperra- Ability: Sandstorm+ (controls sandstoms)

Ability notes: A few Pokemon are noted for their ability to change the weather just with their presence, with more able to change it with moves. This takes quite a bit of energy, though, and they do not have full control. It seems that the weather-affecting members of the Spirit Clan do have full control over their particular weather, freely manipulating the strength of it and dismissing and calling it at will.


	24. Irma, the Chemistry Professor

June 4, year 59

Ellegyn

To reach the Shrine of the Sun, Polaris had to find a tiny town called Listra. It was in the north central part of Jasper, in a hilly agricultural land. According to the map on his computer, he was close, but the afternoon was growing late. If he kept walking, he would reach it late at night. Traveling in the dark in a hilly forested area did not sound appealing, or safe. He could reach another town before nightfall. But then, he had just arrived in the city of Ellegyn, and there was a very good reason to stop for the day here. There was a gym in this town, so he might as well give it a try.

Ellegyn was a town that did its best to blend technology and nature. There was the Ellegyn Scientific Academy, a university of the sciences that was quickly becoming one of the top schools in the world, especially in the fields of chemistry, mineralogy, and biology. This was accompanied by a chemistry and plastics plant, a medical research school, and a park that that many statues of great scientists. On the other side of things, there were also a number of greenhouses, public gardens, and the Center for Holistic Health, which studied various alternative medicines. While it was a nice city, Polaris wasn't sure if he'd want to live here. Not with the chemicals plant nearby.

The Poison Gym was on the north side of Ellegyn, in a beautiful building with artistic stone tiles on the roof. Many colorful flowers grew outside in a neat garden, but given where they were, they were probably poisonous in some manner. Inside, Polaris checked into the reception desk. "Do you have any allergies?" the receptionist asked.

"Not that I know of," he replied.

"Okay. There's a television crew in today, just so that you're aware of."

"Oh." He looked in. "Is that why there's quite a few people in today?"

She made a face. "Yeah. The League has tried to keep filming days secret and spontaneous, but some challengers still find out. You're clear to go; good luck."

"Thank you." He moved past one camera man, who was filming another person trying to get through this Gym's puzzle. It was a maze with wooden walls around shoulder height. After considering it and what he remembered from televised challenges, Polaris called out Picasso. "Okay, the trick to this place is that they have trapdoors in a maze. All of the regular Trainers are below, but the Leader is at the other end of the maze. I don't want to take long, so would you help with scouting out the doors?"

Smiling, the Smeargle got down and began checking along the ground. Some of the trapdoors Polaris could spot due to a slight change in the wooden floors, but there were others too well disguised and blended. Picasso, maybe being closer to the floor, was able to guide him well.

At the end of the maze, Polaris came upon a hallway that showed a battle in progress. There was a large room that served as an arena, where the leader Irma Cardon was battling against a teenaged girl. A teenaged boy with dark skin was standing by the entrance. "Hey, nice work on making it through. But you're out of luck; Irma's been on a winning streak today."

"Has she?" He knew that this Leader wasn't the sort to show off when on camera, but there was a chance that the Challengers would be trying. So, he should probably take a cue from Ms. Cardon and do his best to ignore the camera crew.

"Eh tai!" Picasso said excitedly, punching the air.

The boy brought out a Pokeball. "I'll take you on in the meantime, if you want. Just so long as you don't have anything too big that'll distract from the main fight."

Polaris glanced around. They were in a wide hall that led into the main Leader room itself. "All right," he agreed. Since his plan for Irma wouldn't include his Smeargle unless things went bad, he said, "Picasso, your turn."

The Gym Trainer released his Pokemon. It was a strange small Pokemon that seemed like nothing more than a little lump with large feet, as well as a giant pair of grinning purple lips hanging off a stem growing out of its top. "Go Pratter! Toxic."

Was it some kind of Plant and Poison hybrid? "Use Ice," Polaris advised.

Whether it was or not, the Ice Beam knocked the Pratter out, but not before it could poison Picasso. The boy then brought out his second Pokemon, "Dronter, Ingrain."

This one was more obviously a dual type, as it had a grassy body along with the grinning purple lips. But it was more defensive, as a single Ice Beam did not knock it out. Then the boy had his Dronter use Rest. That skill sped up its healing and, along with Ingrain, made it like Dronter had never been hit. It could just keep that up until Picasso fainted from poison.

"Just keep at it," Polaris said. The boy only had two Pokemon, so if he could manage to strike hard, they should be able to pass.

Picasso launched another Ice Beam at the Dronter, but then it mumbled in its sleep. It struck the Smeargle with a Poison Sting even though it wasn't alert. It must have known Sleep Talk, Polaris reflected. But another Ice Beam managed to be enough to knock it out.

As Picasso cheered his victory, Polaris got out an Antidote cartridge and got rid of the toxic condition. The boy just shrugged. "I'm still working on my team, see? So I'm not half of what Irma is."

"I know how that is," Polaris said. "Those were some interesting Pokemon."

"They'll talk your ear off, even if you try teaching them otherwise," the boy said, grinning and apparently happy to talk about them. "But they are good fighters."

Polaris nodded, now healing Picasso back up. Although he was just back-up for the main fight, he didn't want to bring him out in bad shape. "Do they talk English?"

"They don't really know what they're saying, but yeah." He smirked. "Well, one of the Pratter family does know what it's saying. What badge are you after?"

"My sixth."

"Ah. Then you'll meet that one." He chuckled. "You'd better be ready for it."

The main battle ended with the Challenger losing. After waiting a few minutes for Irma to heal up her Pokemon and for the film crew to be ready (they wouldn't let him ahead otherwise), Polaris came into the main arena. He had recalled Picasso. "I'm here to challenge you, Irma Cardon." He felt a little sheepish for stating the obvious.

But she smiled. "Certainly." She had dark skin, darker than the Arkahn people, with long black hair and black eyes. She wore blue jeans and a lavender t-shirt that advertised ESA. According the records, she still worked as a chemistry researcher alongside her Gym duties. After checking the computer by her, she said, "So you're Polaris Starr, from St Rosaline. And you managed to get through the maze without falling for the traps. I hope you know what you're getting into, then."

"My Pokemon are ready," he said, confident in them.

"I'll take your word for it. Let's begin." She released an Arbok, which held out its hood with its intimidating false eyes. It was an intimidator.

It wouldn't matter, though. Polaris released Jessu the Kuni. "Set up and go with the plan," he told her.

In response, Irma ordered her Pokemon to use Glare. As the small feline was spooked by the snake's hood, there was a good chance that she would be paralyzed by the predatory look. Jessu kept her nerves, though, and set up a Tailwind. The Arbok then darted over to bite her, but then she used a skill called U-turn, in which she dove at him for a minor hit, but then retreated to her Pokeball and forced Polaris' next Pokemon out into the arena.

Tesla the Garchomp roared, not for intimidation, but just to show off. "Go for it!" Polaris encouraged her.

With the extra bit of speed, Tesla got the Arbok knocked down before it could finish its reaction to her appearance. Irma then released another snake, this one black with red markings, longer fangs, and a bladed tail with a suspicious shine to that blade. It was one from Hoenn that he recognized, a Seviper. The Seviper was allowed to do as it wanted, so it slashed Tesla across the legs.

She didn't let that stop her, although Polaris felt that the snake would have an advantage in close quarters combat. "Use Earthquake," he called out.

She gave a slight nod, then leapt up and pounded the ground. The Seviper hissed in agitation and tried to dart in for a bite. Again, she went for Tesla's ankles, presumably to give her an injury that would hamper her ability to continue the battle. Tesla clawed the snake under its head, knocking it unconscious.

"Finally, someone with a decent Pokemon," Irma said. Then she brought out her third Pokeball. "Now Gossiter… Leech Seed."

Gossiter seemed like Dronter; it had the same large purple grin above a plant body. But Gossiter had a fluffed up mass of ferns instead of grass growing off its body. It fired a group of small seeds that stuck fast to the Garchomp's skin, and would slowly siphon health from her. However, Polaris planned for this to go quickly; a long fight would favor a Poison Trainer master. "Go for it," he encouraged.

Tesla slashed at the Gossiter, which gave the poisonous plant Pokemon the opportunity to poison her with Toxic. But then Irma picked out her last Pokeball and called out, "Last call!"

"Last call," the Gossiter echoed, then chomped on the Garchomp and surrounded her with a white curse circle. Polaris recognized it from the Contest Hall as Memento. It weakened Tesla, but at the cost of getting the Gossiter knocked out.

"Cricarsh, talk it out." Irma then released another one of the Pratter line. This one, though, appeared to be a thorny violet vine, with harsh yellow eyes and a large violet frown. The difference was unnerving.

"Don't even try," the Cricarsh said, in surprisingly good English. "You can't win by power alone."

Polaris felt a twinge of anxiety on hearing its words. But then he recalled Santiperra's criticism. He wasn't powerful, and power wasn't always based in strength. However, Tesla hesitated, uncertain. This wasn't how battles usually went.

As Irma began to order something else of her Pokemon, Polaris called out to his. "Tesla, snap to it!"

The Garchomp refocused on hearing his words and went to slash at Cricarsh. In the meantime, it launched a mass of its thorns around the arena. Tesla managed to avoid them; they wouldn't even hurt her too much and she was already poisoned. But it would be a mess to call another Pokemon into this.

Even with her badly poisoned and weakened, they need to end it quickly. "Tesla, do what it takes! I trust you."

She clicked in response, then went into a slashing frenzy. She put what strength she had in her blows. In response, the Cricarsh latched onto her and kept draining power from her for its own health. For a bit, Polaris was worried, both for her health and that frenzy state. But then, on her fifth hit, the frenzy ended. So that was a regular attack, her Fury Swipes. And before the Cricarsh could get another attack in, she tackled him quickly to finish him off. Then Tesla fainted from the toxic poison.

Although Polaris was worried, he quickly snatched up Jessu's Pokeball and summoned the Kuni back into battle. One Trainer he had met on the road had tried to claim a draw when Polaris' Pokemon had won, simply because the two final Pokemon knocked each other out and he didn't call out one of his conscious ones within a few seconds. Given that this was a Gym Leader and that the battle was being recorded, he probably didn't need to worry. But it was likely a good habit to start.

"Mew?" Jessu asked, worried.

"Well it looks like you know your stuff," Irma said. "And you didn't let Cricarsh get the better of you or your Garchomp. I'll accept your win as a good one. Congratulations." She handed him a purple reward box.

"Those were some great Pokemon," Polaris said, accepting it. "I'd admire anyone who can successfully train a Cricarsh." They were known for being highly critical of their own Trainers, so one had to have nerves of steel to endure one.

"It's like that Garchomp; the powerful ones always require more effort. It seems that you've gotten pretty far along in your challenge. Good luck with making the finals in November."

"Right, thanks. Come on Jessu, let's go."

"Mao!" She flitted over to land on his shoulder as he left the Gym by the side hall. He went to the Pokecenter to get Tesla, Jessu, and Picasso healed up, then decided to take the evening off to rest.

* * *

June 5

Listra

On his way to Listra, Polaris followed an old road that came off a secondary route. The area had a feel of solitude, with few signs of technology or human habitation. The hills had many trees, not enough to feel like a thick forest, but enough that it was hard to see what was coming ahead. Sometimes on the upper portions of the road, he could see orchards and vineyards in the distance. It was a lovely rural area and seemed like a place where the sun would be of great importance.

Picasso was trotting alongside him as usual, along with Jessu and Tesla. The Kuni had been flitting about, but she came up as he was climbing another steep hill. "Mao! Meer purrrr."

"She says that Listra is just over this hill," Garnet translated. "You might want to bring the Transcriber out now, before one of the townspeople sees you. In my observations, this is a highly conservative and closed town. They could be hostile."

"I see," he said, feeling nervous. But this had to be done. He paused to pull the tablet out, then continued on. "I'll just have to find some way to earn someone's trust."

At the top of the hill, he came across a plateau in this uneven landscape. This was where the town of Listra had been founded. It was a pretty and old town, filled with buildings made of brick, stone lined paths, a rustic old fountain, and few modern conveniences. There wasn't even a Pokecenter in this town.

There were a few people walking about, all native Arkahns. They did not seem too sure of him, an outsider marked by orange hair and a stranger who obviously followed the modern ways. Looking over them, Polaris noticed one woman who was loading a kiln (possibly centuries old) with glazed pottery. Lunarium was followed by artist and poets. Potters and sculptors too? If so, he decided she might be the best option for him to talk to.

The others moved away, but the woman at the kiln paused in her work and stood up. "Have you lost your way, Trainer?" she asked cautiously.

He shook his head. "No, m'am." He then showed her the back of the Transcriber, where the six symbols were bright. "I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but I've been asked by Lunarium to go see to the Shrine of the Sun immediately. I'm her apprentice, Polaris Starr. Do you know of someone who could guide me to it?"

"Oh my word," she said softly, looking at the Transcriber in a shock.

A man with the group came forward. "So you're the one who stole the holy artifact."

"No," the pottery woman said. "I mean, I wouldn't know about that…"

"I didn't steal it, but I was given it strangely," Polaris admitted.

She then touched the Transcriber. "But he has gotten the blessings of the entire Spirit Clan. So they are all awake now?"

"I just awoke Lunarium," he answered, "but there's some confusion about what's going on with Desolaire. That's why I need to get to the shrine soon, today if someone has the time."

"And if it's the will of the goddesses, then we should listen," another woman told the man. While he looked dissatisfied and left, she added, "There is one person who could bring you there today. I'll take you to him."

"Sorry I can't really help," the pottery woman said, picking up another pot carefully. "But I do have my work to attend to."

He nodded. "It's okay. May your work have the blessings of the moon and the wind."

She smiled, appreciating that remark. The other woman brought him to a nearby house, where she had him wait outside. While he was waiting, he looked to Tesla. "You girls really think the path may have changed that much?"

The Garchomp nodded and made a few low grumbling sounds. "It's the trees," Garnet translated. "They can force the paths to change over time and it has been a long while since any of the shrine maidens have been that way."

Just then, the door to the house opened up again. The Arkahn woman came out with an older man who had black hair with highlights of yellow and gray. He looked familiar, although Polaris couldn't place him until the woman introduced them. "Essen, this is Polaris Starr, the apprentice of Desolaire and Lunarium. Mr. Starr, this is Arnold Essen Solaris, the, the former prophet of Desolaire."

That's who he was. Not wanting to appear impolite, Polaris offered to shake hands with him. "Good morning, Essen."

Essen hesitated, then smiled and accepted the handshake. "Good morning, Polaris. So we finally meet. You were going to the sun's shrine?"

He nodded. "Yes, but the shrine maidens are uncertain which paths lead there safely, as it has been a long time since they have been that way. Lunarium has requested that I bypass the usual ceremony and head straight there."

"I see. That's strange." He considered it, then nodded. "Very well. It is some distance from the village, though. We could reach there before evening, but then we will have to camp out there. Do you have supplies for that?"

Polaris smiled. "Yes, sir. I've been traveling around the region for the past several months, so I came prepared."

"Good." He smiled briefly. "Give me a few minutes so that I can pack my things, and then we'll head out. Lessa, would you go inform the others that I will be gone for today and tomorrow?"

The woman nodded, then headed off. Half an hour later, Polaris and Essen were leaving Listra on a footpath headed southwest. This path was even wilder than the old road, as it was made by the tracks of humans and Pokemon. Grass tried to take it back over and bushes tried to reach out over it. While it crossed a stream not long after leaving Listra, there was no bridge, just stepping stones placed in the water to help travelers. Wild Pokemon roamed out, not afraid of them but not attacking like they would along most routes.

"Why would Lunarium dismiss the ceremonial blessings?" Essen asked once they got a sufficient distance away from Listra. "If you know."

"She's very concerned about her sister," Polaris explained, moving past a thorny bush. "She says that she cannot sense her and fears that something may have happened. And there is evidence to suggest that. When I awoke her, the agreement binding them to sleep was broken and I have the blessings of all six, despite the fact that I have not met Desolaire in person. At least, I think not."

Essen nodded, thinking. "No one has entered the shrine itself for a very long time. Certainly not in my lifetime. I go up there regularly to pray to the sun and ask for acceptance to come inside, just as my father and grandfather did. But, none of us were ever allowed in. I've followed what they both taught me, and I taught my son in the same way. I didn't think that we were false prophets; I've held onto my faith that the goddesses would return, even if I struggled with it. But, it seems the Solaris family is no longer worthy… if we ever were."

There was an awkward silence. How did you respond to a statement like that? Polaris wasn't sure, but he felt he should try anyhow. "I'm not sure what to say about that. But, I suppose if you were taught the wrong way and had no way of validating the truth of it, then you can't really be lumped with those who made the false teaching."

"Maybe still bad in continuing to teach them. I've been thinking about that a lot, even before Zepharia came before the crowd. That was to your call, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, I was there in the audience. A couple of the Sun Knights found me, but no one else noticed."

"They've been increasingly against my family leading our people. They seem to have known better than us. Polaris, if you don't mind, would you tell me about your pilgrimage so far?"

"I wouldn't use that term for it myself," Polaris said sheepishly. "But, all right."

So he told Essen some of his story about his trip around the Sea of Jasper. He was going to only mention the League events briefly, but his new traveling companion seemed curious. Explaining the League to someone who had only bare knowledge of it and used to have a bias against it took much longer than he thought. Telling his story, even skipping personal stuff like Megan and what he actually saw in the Hall of Sorrow, ended up taking up much of their day of travel.

As the sun was sinking towards the horizon, Essen pointed out their destination. Up on top of a plateau at an even higher elevation than Listra, there was a grand building seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. It was a step pyramid, much like the one in the desert for Lunarium. That stones it was made of seemed to be brown, but as they got closer to it and the sun got closer to the horizon, they took on an orange-red glow that seemed like fire.

The last hill was a rough climb, leaving Polaris' legs feeling tired when they had gotten to the top. There was stone pavement up there and the site was tended to although still worn from the elements. However, something felt odd. He recalled a spiritual presence when he approached the Shrine of the Moon, and all the other shrines. This one seemed much too silent. Not even the demons were appearing here.

"Do you run into any stray spirits around here?" Polaris asked.

Essen shook his head. "Not often. Sometimes a ghost will find its way here seeking its final rest, but that's all. And while there have been demons lurking about the land, I have never encountered any here. I felt that Desolaire's presence kept them away."

"It could be," he murmured, but something didn't seem right here. This shrine had two entryways, one facing east and the other facing west. Essen looked to him, so Polaris chose to try the western entrance. He released the shrine maidens when by the heavy stone door.

The Katisp gave a wary look to the door. Clasping the handle of her sword, she said, 'This place is almost silent. I thought it would be different.'

"Me too," Polaris said, examining the door. Made of stone, it was marked with the spiral sun symbol, so he copied that onto the Transcriber. When the two symbols glowed, the door creaked open. He glanced inside, then turned to his guide. "Come on, let's go."

The former prophet was puzzled. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes. From what I've read of Desolaire, I doubt she would reject you fully." He then went inside, followed by the Pokemon. After a moment, Essen came too.

Inside the shrine, there was one large open room. There were many slits in the walls, letting in dozens of shafts of golden sunlight across the orange-brown stone tiles. Looking around, there were no stairs or indication of other levels, although the very center had a circular pool of water surrounded by six columns. A structure on top would support a torch, so it was like the inner chamber of the moon shrine. However, the torch was not lit. And there was nothing else inside the shrine. Nothing at all.

The Pokemon made startled noises and started to look closer about. Lethe turned to the two men. 'The sun goddess is supposed to be here. Where could she have gone? She was asleep.'

Polaris took a few more steps towards the pool structure. "This explains why things seemed so quiet here." He turned to Essen. "Has anyone tried to move her? Or do you know when the shrine was last opened?"

Biting his lip, Essen shook his head. "No one would have dared move Desolaire while she slept. As for the last time this was opened…" he rubbed his forehead. "It's been a long time. Maybe a hundred years?"

"Is there any other structure out here, like underground? I…" he was about to say something, but then spotted something out of place: a sliver of light in the walls that wasn't part of the window slit pattern. Glancing around, he spotted Picasso and snapped his fingers to the Smeargle. He then pointed out that difference.

"There are many caves in this area," Essen said. "I don't believe there's any in this particular hill."

"I've had a dream sense sometimes that she was somewhere underground, where there's darkness and water." But as he spoke, he watched as Picasso scampered over to the fragment of light.

Over at the wall, which was to the right of the large door, the Smeargle sniffed at the crack. He pushed there. "Eai daih, tupa," he called out, waving at Tesla. The Garchomp went over, then nodded and took over. It didn't take much for her to push out the stone block that was there.

Polaris and Essen went over there. The hole left was big enough for Tesla to duck down and pass through to get outside. On the sides of it, there was a rough texture unlike the rest of the structure. The artist ran his hand over it. "This is odd," he said.

"Some Poison Pokemon are capable of making this kind of mark on stones," the Arkahn said. "Some stone crafters use those skills to cut a block to shape before smoothing it out."

As he said that, Polaris got a strange feeling. An image came into his mind unbidden, that of an Arkahna man with greenish black hair carving out this block. There were emotions attached to the image: a thrill of doing something forbidden, a playful greed, utterly no respect either for the goddess or her followers. "A thief," he mumbled.

"What?" Essen asked.

"I had a sense of someone, a disloyal Arkahn. He stole her right from her shrine, perhaps for no reason besides he could do it." He got up and looked back to the reflection pool. "Maybe I can get some other psychic clues if I look closer over there."

"Hssa mey," Varia said, bringing her arms and anemone tentacles in close. She sounded in disbelief that someone would dare steal Desolaire, especially for such a flimsy reason.

'She should have been able to defend herself from someone like that, even in her sleep,' Lethe said. 'But that block was removed.'

"And Lunarium was able to help Picasso before I met her, so she should have been capable," Polaris said, walking towards the pool. He touched one of the pillars.

A sense of deep sadness immediately came to him. People were still fighting and no one could come to a consensus. But maybe there was a danger out there that she had to come out for. She had kept watching all this time and was now thinking of emerging from her shrine. Deal with the danger, talk to her people and try to make them understand why she went away, and then return until her original conditions were complete. But she was finding it hard to get motivated to actually wake up. It was like she was surrounded by darkness, even if it was just the sadness in her heart.

Something clamped onto his shoulder and jerked Polaris away from the pillar. He yelped, but then saw that it was Tesla, with Lethe hovering nearby. 'The emotions remaining here may be too strong for you to delve into alone,' the Katisp said, worried.

He rubbed his eyes and found them wet. "Yeah. But… I didn't see it directly, but I think her depression kept her from reacting in time to the thief's actions."

On finding no more clues there, they left to make a campsite outside, near one of the shrine's walls. The sky was free of clouds and turning a fine violet, allowing some early stars to sine. There was a steady wind blowing, but they were protected by the building. While listening to Essen talk, Polaris worked on grooming his Pokemon.

"I had worried that the League ways restricted the respect people have for Pokemon," the former prophet said. "But you seem to respect them quite well."

He switched over to a comb to take a tricky knot out of Picasso's fur. "I would agree that more people need to learn to respect their Pokemon. But it does affect how they perform in battles, so generally those that do respect and love their Pokemon get far."

"That kind of aspect of a person's personality is hard to judge at times," Essen said, working on getting the campfire to burn steadily. "There is something I need to tell you about. I find myself surprised that it hasn't been brought up to you."

Pausing, Polaris looked over to him, causing Picasso to do the same. "What's that?"

"Your position as the apprentice to the sky twins. That makes you their prophet too, and therefore, the leader of our people."

He stilled, feeling stunned. "What? I didn't even think abut that. I mean, I was just going to help them, as they had helped me."

Essen nodded, then brushed his hair away from his face. "That is why we were so concerned when you, as an outsider, began awakening the gods. It didn't seem right, that they would want us under someone who had no connection to us. And after they had been gone so long."

Recalling his dream during the Grand Festival, Polaris wondered if this was what Darkrai had warned him about, a decision that could lead to a great temptation and would forever alter his life. "I'm not sure what to say about that right now," he said. "I suppose I'd have to speak with Lunarium some more, and Desolaire whenever I find her."

"I would be willing to help you, at least with getting others to accept you," Essen offered. "I think I'm starting to see why Zepharia said what he did. You are more like the prophets of old than I ever was. But I think I need to relearn about my own religion."

"I need to just learn it," Polaris said, laughing softly.

That made him smile. "You have the most direct source to learn from, after all."

"Yes, but I would appreciate your help." He started working on Picasso's fur again. "Actually, I just thought of something. Unless I get some message tonight, or some further clue about where Desolaire is, I have some things I need to get done. I worked previously as a painter and I did a lot of work over the Grand Festival that was in St. Rosaline a short while back. But I got pulled into doing this, when I have a lot of portrait orders to work on. Is there a place in Listra I could stay for some time to work on those paintings? I don't want to be intrusive, but it might help if I spend a few days in a place like that, where your culture is so deeply ingrained."

"Hmm…" his eyes drifted off as he considered it. "I do have a spare bedroom in my house, if you didn't mind working out of there. There are some in town who won't want to accept you. But that could be a good idea, to be with us."

"Good. Well I can't fully guarantee the behavior of this one," he tapped Picasso, who blew a raspberry at him. "But the rest of us will try not to be trouble."

"I would be glad to have you as my guests," Essen said, sounding amused. "Even a troublesome Smeargle."

…

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: the Pratter line

Pratter(female) - Gossiter

Pratter(male) - Dronter

Pratter(use Sun Stone) - Cricarsh

Type: Pratter- Poison, Gossiter/Dronter- Poison/Grass, Cricarsh- Poison/Psychic

Ability: All- Soundproof

Description: Pratter looks like a large pair of medium purple lips locked in a large grin… and not much more. The lips are connected to a stem-like green body which leads down to small lump with eyes (Pratter's actual head). At the bottom of the lump head, there are large floppy leaves, rather thick, that seem to serve as feet.

Gossiter has the same giant lips as Pratter, but the stem it's connected to is thicker, sprouting a few pink and purple flowers. The lump that was its head is now larger and covered in large fern leaves. Its eyes are larger, with a purple iris and a pink eyelid. It now has four of its floppy leaf feet. Overall, it seems quite perky.

Dronter looks similar to Gossiter in terms of body shape. The stem flowers are powder blue and purple, it has a blue eyelid, and its body has flat grass-like leaves bending backwards, making it look kind of like a Sandslash. Dronter has a bored or boring expression to its body.

Cricarsh also has giant purple lips. However, its expression is locked into a frown. Its dark purple eyes have moved up to form a proper face, joined by a third eye that is smaller than the others. The rest of its body is like a serpent made of a thick vine, which coils around on the ground in its standing sprite. Small sharp thorns cover its skin.

Notes: When you first get your Pratter, get used to the constant babbling it makes. It never grows out of it and the babbling tends to get worse when it evolves. Also, note that its giant lips are not actually its mouth. Pratter and its evolutions get some energy from photosynthesis and any actual eating it does is done with a small mouth on its lumpy body. So don't use a feeding dish with high sides with this Pokemon. An old folk tale says that Pratters come from the lips that drop off of kids who talk too much. Obviously, that's not true.

Be very careful of what you say in the presence of a Gossiter. They can parrot human speech extremely well. And they aren't known as the gossip Pokemon for nothing; a Gossiter tends to copy exactly the words you didn't want it to overhear (and saying them about a dozen times over, just to make sure the message was clear). A common trait in Gossiters is obsessing over looks and cleaning itself a lot. This makes Gossiter a Poison Pokemon who would do well in Contests.

Dronters act quite sleepy and will nap is nothing else is going on. They're the most easy-going of the Pratter line. However, their voices are primarily monotone and slow, so being around one for a period of time can put even a Trainer to sleep. It is recommended that this be taken into account when planning a battle strategy. Learning sleep inducing techniques will greatly please a Dronter, for that plus poison is their favored natural way of hunting prey.

If you are a sensitive person, then think twice before you evolve a Pratter into a Cricarsh. A Cricarsh is a natural bully and will peer into your heart to find exactly what words would hurt you most. And because they quickly become fluent in the human languages, it won't be long before your own Pokemon is insulting and critiquing you. This is simply how they have developed and there is nothing that can permanently break them of it without crossing into abuse. On the other hand, if you feel that you can handle a critical Pokemon, try to acquire a Pratter egg and raise it yourself. If you can get the Pratter's respect and happiness before evolving it, then your Cricarsh should not be as poisonous towards you. (I. Cardon)


	25. Stella, the Metal Sculptor

June 20, year 59

Listra

Changing one's life was a hard thing to do; Polaris knew that well. But that was just centered on one person. There were times when it had to be done, though, and he knew he was better off for setting off in a new direction. Introducing change into a culture that hadn't really changed in a thousand years, he was getting a tough reception for that. This was going to affect thousands of people and some were already bitter towards him. As far as he knew, no decision had yet been made among the Spirit Clan about how to adapt to modern society. But they had to be talking about it.

For the two weeks that he had stayed in Listra, Polaris decided to just work on getting the people to accept him as a person, perhaps even as an immigrant now following their religion. He attended their church meetings, but as one of the listeners, not a leader yet. He had a lot of painting work to be completed, but he took breaks by going out and talking to Essen's neighbors. Sometimes he even did chores for them, not asking for anything in return. And he spoke with the Pokemon there too, by using Lethe as an interpreter.

He found out that the woman who made pots was Kelly Kaelen, and she was a follower of Santiperra, not Lunarium. It made sense as she was working with materials of the earth. Still, she was one of the first who accepted him as an acquaintance. Much of the other people around Listra worked with the grapes and olives, either in growing them or developing products from them. The ones who made the wines, olive oils, and other products were interested in being open with other cultures, if only because more direct business dealings would help them.

The church elders who had been advising Essen were not so keen to accept Polaris. A number of them were coming into the church for a meeting this afternoon, which he was attending. Over the morning, he had spent a length of time in prayer, trying to figure out what the Spirit Clan would want him to tell them. He had some ideas, but Polaris still wasn't sure of himself. So he sketched in one of his notebooks while they came in. It was of a Cricarsh and a person. But it was a man, not Irma.

When someone sat beside him, he glanced up and was surprised at who was there. "Blair?" he asked. He hadn't expected to see her today.

Neither had the others, apparently. "What are you doing here?" one of the other women asked sharply. "Your group left the council a long time ago."

She nodded. "We did leave," she replied, not letting the elder's tone get to her. "But I am the leader of the Sun Knights and our purpose has always been to protect the apprentice of the Sky Twins. I also called in the leader of the Moon Sages. Tristan should be here shortly."

Although glad for her support, Polaris noticed the tension this caused. He cleared this throat, then said, "It would be better if you did not immediately take offense to that. Master Desolaire wanted to get away from all the fighting caused by the division in the tribe; I have felt an echo of her grief over that. So please, don't dishonor her by finding arguments to continue. You… we should be working on a way to repair those divisions."

Some in attendance looked offended at that, but others did take that as a rebuke. So when an older man in a dark blue cloak came in, his nervousness was quietly ignored and a seat was brought forward for him.

Essen started the meeting off shortly after; they had decided to do this as he knew the elders better and knew more about how to run things. The first subjects were seemingly normal business. But then the controversial subjects had to be brought up. "We must discuss ways in which to accept new people into the Arkahna religion," Essen stated. "Starting with our new prophet, Polaris."

"You were doing just fine until he turned Zepharia against you," one of the elders said, glowering towards Polaris.

"He did nothing to affect the wind god's words," Essen replied. "He simply called him in to stop us from making a grave mistake. And I don't believe I would have done it if you hadn't encouraged me, Heinlen, you and others."

"Well the demon was never awoken from his seal," Polaris spoke up, although he'd been quiet most of the meeting so far. "So it's a past issue. Besides, I have not yet awakened Desolaire. I would like to join you, but I feel like I should hold off on taking the position of prophet fully until I can speak with her more. Essen and I have spoken quite often the past few days, so I feel that he can be trusted to stay on as your leader until I'm better prepared and informed."

"And so long as I follow the advice of the Spirit Clan. I know that the words passed on by my ancestors were twisted by a desire for power. The words which some of you still follow. If you persist in falling the false ways, you will be taken out of the position as an elder." Essen looked over the group gathered there, serious in his threat of demoting several of the members there.

Which was not taken well by Heinlen and those who agreed with him. "How can you trust the words of an outsider over that of your ancestors?" Heinlen challenged. "That is what has brought us through the dark times while the gods slept."

"Following those words may have kept them asleep," Blair stated.

"And I intend to speak with one of them myself in coming days," Essen added. "I have tried to reach them through prayer from here in Listra all my life. So had my father and my grandfather, but none of us ever heard a response. I will go to one of the shrines myself to get the answers I seek. That is what I should have done all along and I only realized it while I was speaking with and listening to Polaris. If we are to respect the gods, then we will come to them instead of waiting on them to come to us." He bowed his head. "I do not wish to mislead our people any longer, but you seem to want that."

When a harsh silence followed, the Moon Sage Tristan spoke up. "Excuse me, but what is the difficulty with awakening Desolaire? You went to the shrine, didn't you?"

The two of them nodded. "The shrine was empty," Essen stated. "There was no sign of her presence anywhere."

As the others gasped, Polaris opened his notebook back up to where he had kept his thumb. "I did see some things within the shrine, which have been echoed in my dreams. When faced with depression, it is hard to motivate oneself to do things. Apparently this extends even to the gods and goddesses of Pokemon. Desolaire was taken from her shrine by a thief, an Arkahn man who had apprenticed under a Cricarsh, maybe even the rest of the Pratter line. Here, I drew a picture of what I have seen. It was a long time ago, but do any of you know who this is?" He showed his sketch, to the group, then handed it over to one of the elders who reached out for it.

"I doubt any of our people would have the disrespect to kidnap the goddess of the sun," Heinlen said in disgust.

But the one who had taken it looked thoughtful. "What kind of hair does he have, the color of it? This is just a black sketch."

Closing his eyes to review the image, Polaris answered, "He had highlights of green, a medium tone. And he was extremely cocky. He felt, perhaps rightfully so, that he could get away with the kidnapping precisely because it was so audacious that everyone else felt it unthinkable."

When he looked back to the elder, he was nodding slowly. "Then, this would seem to be Taigen Denkrill. He was a man of no morals, one who stole for the thrill of it. He died over seventy years ago, but it's been only five years ago that his stolen goods have been located, near the city of Graystone."

"But that was found by an outsider, wasn't it?" another elder asked, sounding worried. "They didn't report finding anything like the goddess, but then again, that man hasn't released what all that he has found."

"Right, that property is now owned by David Jacobs and he's blocked all our efforts to search Taigen's goods and see if anything important to us is still there."

Polaris felt surprised. "David Jacobs, really? I've done some work for him."

"Could you talk with him then?" Blair asked.

"There's problems with that," he admitted. "My last dealing with them didn't end in their favor, so they're unlikely to listen." Namely, when he had gotten Picasso from Mrs. Jacobs and they had ended up paying the Smeargle's medical bills for having his ear cut off.

"We will have to try harder, if Taigen is the one who kidnapped Desolaire," Essen said.

Later that day, Polaris was with a group of people around his age, along with some teens. They were interested in his computer and the technology it had. "The elders said that we weren't supposed to use the technology of the outsiders," one of the teens said.

"I've been using things like this all my life," Polaris said, operating his computer to store the paintings he had made, then electronically transfer them to the framing shop in St. Rosaline. They already had his request to frame the works and mail them out to their recipients. "I could see how some people might see it as threatening. But I like it because I can keep in contact with people over a long distance. Like my girlfriend who lives in St. Rosaline. I might be traveling all over this region now, but I can talk with her or write every day."

"Like telepathy anyone could use?" one of the young men asked.

'It works over longer distances than telepathy does,' Lethe answered. 'I can still only speak with those in my line of sight or not that far. He can talk with someone over a week's journey away.'

They seemed more willing to listen to him, even though the technology aspect helped convince them to. But the sharing of ideas would become important.

He returned to Essen's home to find him packing. "Do you mean to go out to one of the Shrines, as you said?" Polaris asked.

Essen nodded. "Yes. The Shrine of Love is closest, but I think I'll find the Shrine of Skill and speak with Zepharia again. You said you were done with your commissions, right? What will you do now?"

Nodding about the commissions, Polaris said, "I'm going over to Graystone to help with convincing Mr. Jacobs to allow us to search Taigen's property. I need to be there anyways when permission is granted, to look for and speak with Desolaire."

"Do you have any insights as to how to convince him? Even if you don't get along with him, you have worked with him personally."

He had been considering that. "I think that it's important that we don't let him know that he possibly has a Pokemon goddess on his property. He's not one who respects Pokemon and doesn't believe in the immortal ones as gods. If he learned of her presence, he might try to claim her as a kind of trophy, as terrible as that is. That will make it even harder for us to do anything about him."

"That is something we may have to reeducate the rest of the world about," Essen said.

* * *

June 23

Graystone City

Graystone City lay in the northeastern mountains. The old Arkahn town had been destroyed in a rockslide in decades past. In its place, the outsiders to the region built a sturdy city of steel and concrete. It made no attempt to integrate into the culture. This city could have been plucked straight out of Kanto or Johto. Very modern, it promised progress without sacrificing nature, although the promise was shaky. There was greenery to be seen, but in neat contained areas like the City Park or cultured gardens. Technology was predominant.

As such, it was very much a modern city. It was laid out in an efficient grid pattern and filled with closely packed skyscrapers. Below ground, there was a subway system; above ground, there were crowded streets filled with pedestrians. But it was mostly foreign descent people, Polaris noticed. Sometimes he spotted one of the Arkahn, usually a young adult who had already broken from tradition to come into the modern world.

It was almost alien to the rest of the region, Polaris thought as he started down the streets towards a Pokecenter. One of Graystone's centers, actually, out of three. Looking around, he saw electronic boards advertising shops, broadcasting news, and giving numbers to real estate agents, in case one wanted to find an apartment here. Back in Listra, he had been the only one with a computer; they had electricity and a few phones. He was behind on technology here, as he saw people with newer and smaller computers (some like wristwatches), many talking on cell phone links, and others sitting aside to play video games on handheld consoles. He caught himself almost gawking once at an animated hologram display in a shop window. It had been so long since he had been in a place like this.

With him as usual was Picasso, who was doing his best to keep by him and not get lost in the crowd. Feeling a tug at his belt, he looked down to see that the Smeargle was trying to hold onto him now. So he took his paw. "It's supposed to be just another block over. But we'll have to get used to this, as we have business to manage here."

Picasso sighed at that.

As they stepped through the center's glass door, Polaris noticed how much cleaner the air in here smelled. That was a risk of living in a dense city, he thought. But then he heard, "Hey, Polaris!"

He looked over and saw a young man with spiked black hair with yellow tips. But not one of the native people. He smiled. "Oh, good afternoon, Diego. It's been a while since I've heard from you."

Diego chuckled and came over to shake his hand. "Right, it has. I've been out in the wildest parts of the region preparing for November. And you, you seem to have been all over the place. I saw that match of yours in the Poison Gym."

"Really?" he asked, puzzled. "I knew it was taped, but it hasn't been that long ago."

"It aired just this morning. It was pretty gutsy of you to go up against Irma at that stage. I had beaten her early." He chuckled, seeming a bit embarrassed to admit that. "Then are you here for the local Gym?"

He shook his head. "No, I've got some other business to take care of. Maybe after that."

Diego shrugged. "Sure, whenever you're ready. Oh here, take this." He handed over a flyer. "I know you aren't big on crowds, but something good might come out of this if you go. Give it some thought. Well, I'll be seeing you."

He smiled and waved as the teen left. "Right, see you later."

Wondering what Diego had in mind, Polaris read over the flyer. 'Trainers, fans, and all those who love Pokemon, come join us for the joint fifteenth year celebration of the TFC and the PFC branches of Jasper! There will be single Pokemon matches, party contests, door prizes, free refreshments, and much more. The party starts at 7 PM on the 23rd of June, at the Trainer Fan Club building. Bring this flyer for a special offer. We'd love to see you there!'

* * *

Polaris spent the afternoon with a lawyer who was working on the Arkahn case against Mr. Jacobs. Apparently, the businessman thought so little of their claims that he rarely attended the court hearings about it. His lawyers took care of things, mostly by finding excuses to delay and stall the proceedings. "If you could find some proof that Desolaire is there," the lawyer said, "then I can get assistance from the SPCP. And if we can get her out, that could be the break we need to reclaim other items that should be in the hands of the Arkahn people."

"All right, that makes sense," he said. The SPCP would offer a big help, as they were well known. They were also especially outspoken about keeping Pokemon as trophies and might stir up a loud fuss if they learned about this missing legendary.

"They do offer tours of the Taigen vaults." He pulled out a brochure and handed it over. "I can only know about what I can see. If you can sense her, that could help. We will have to get you tested for Psychic abilities so you can be legally certified, but that would be acceptable grounds for a police-assisted search."

"What do I need to do to get that certification?"

The lawyer picked up a phone. "I may be able to arrange a session. Do you have any plans for the next week?"

He shook his head. "Nothing in particular. I might have something to do tonight after seven, but if that's when I can be tested soonest, it wouldn't be a big loss."

As it turned out, the soonest slot he could get was actually as six. After leaving the lawyer, Polaris went to do some shopping, then eat dinner. He was getting extra income from his paintings now, but he still kept himself on a tight budget. It was a habit by now, after living as an artist so long. Then he headed over to the police headquarters.

It was a place that looked tightly secure. The doors were heavy metal ones with large locks. After signing in with a receptionist and filling out an initial form, he had to wait on an officer to escort him to the testing room. A male officer came for him and brought him up to the third floor and into a small room. There were mirrored glass panels on three walls. From the hazy texture of them, Polaris guessed that they were one-way windows. In the room, there was a table that had two tall sides coming off the surface, along with a divider between the two sides.

After a minute, a woman came in. "Good evening; thank you for coming in on time. I'm one of the psychic officers, Linda. And you're Polaris Starr, correct?"

He nodded and shook her hand. "Yes, that's me. Good to meet you Linda."

"Please sit down here." On his side, he noticed that they had given him several square scraps of blank paper and a sharp pencil. He picked up the pencil, thinking that he'd be more at ease if he could doodle a bit. "Have you had any formal psychic training in the past ten years?"

"Not in that time, no."

"How about when you were a child?"

"My father was an exorcist and ghost hunter, so I learned some from him. Not a lot though."

"All right. You say here that you have experienced some signs that could be a psychic ability. What in particular have you experienced?"

Polaris took one of the papers and started drawing something. He wasn't sure what, but he felt like it. "I can sense the presence of power, in particular very strong Pokemon. And I've seen images of the past. So far, it's been of particularly emotional moments of powerful individuals, including one legendary Pokemon."

"All right. That's a bit of empathy, then… although that's usually seen in women."

He blushed. "Well it's not limited to women, right?"

Linda chuckled. "Right, it's not. I'll make some additions to some sections, then. The initial portion of the abilities test takes close to an hour, depending on the individual. Just relax and don't worry about how the outcome will turn out. We will review this session here, then contact you in about two or three days with the results. We may require other tests to be performed before we can certify you. Do you have any particular preparations?"

"I don't think so," he said.

"All right, then let's begin."

* * *

At seven-thirty, he arrived in the downtown area to find the Trainer Fan Club. It took up the first floor of a three story building, making it the shortest one around. It was still a nice place, though, large and set up something like a coffeeshop. Over at the bar, there were indications that they usually sold drinks and some snacks, possibly a main income source for the club. Such things were free or reduced priced tonight. And on the far wall, there was a giant flat screen TV, which was currently showing a recording of some past Gym battles.

Polaris paused a moment to look down at Picasso. "You are going to behave yourself tonight, right? No marking on things that I don't allow you to."

"Tashe," Picasso said, nodded.

The immediate agreement surprised him some. But maybe he had learned his lesson when he escaped from Megan. They went inside to join the party.

Inside, quite the crowd had come out. It was mostly humans, with a few friendly Pokemon hanging close to their Trainers. There were even Pokemon cosplayers around, like a girl in a Stantler hat and a guy (probably) dressed like a Gallade. Music was playing by the drink bar, several were gathered near the TV, and others were playing board games at tables. Noisy and festive, this usually wasn't the kind of gathering he attended.

At the door, there was a young woman dressed in a blue apron with a Pachirisu on the top, along with a blue and white striped hat. "Hi, welcome to the party! You're not too late; did you bring your flyer?"

"Yeah, I did," he said, handing it over.

"Great, you can take two of the free raffle tickets instead of one then. We'll be revealing the door prizes from them later. Here you go." She offered up a gaudy sparkly top hat that had a few tickets left in it.

How many had they printed up? He could only wonder at that, and take two of the tickets. "Sure. Thanks."

"I hope you have a good time!"

It wasn't his idea of a good time, not fully. He didn't know many people there, although he recognized a handful as Trainers he had met and battled along the road. And Diego. The younger Trainer was spending much of his time chatting with other well-known League challengers, like the representatives of various Pokemon Academies. At a table with them, there were a few members of the two clubs who seemed to be filming for a webshow. Polaris watched them for a little bit, but didn't intend on getting involved.

They got him involved anyhow when Diego noticed him. He grinned and waved to him. "Oh hey there man. Come over here."

Wanting to be polite, Polaris came to the table. Just for a little bit, he told himself. "What is it?" he glanced to Picasso as the Smeargle put his front paws on the table and sniffed at a plate.

"These folks are the ones who run the Jasper League Fan Show, Amy, Dan, and Ichigo," he introduced, pointing out the three young adults at the table. "And I think you three might want to interview this guy. He's Polaris Starr, an artist from St. Rosaline who so far has managed to be an unknown contender for this year's Horizon Island Challenge."

"Oh really?" Amy said. "We don't get many unknowns."

"It's still up in the air," Polaris said, sitting down. He pulled another chair closer so that Picasso could sit by him.

"Maybe, but you're going through the gyms at a wild rate," Diego said. "He only started, what, last November, and you have six badges now, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, there's just the gym here and in Zeitgeist."

"What?" one of the Academy Trainers asked. "I've been at this for three years now."

"You also have school to attend, right?" he pointed out. "I'm traveling around anyhow, so it's easier for me to get badges along the way."

"Did you have to redo any of the Gyms?" Dan asked.

"The Grass Gym," he said. "I only had two Pokemon when I first challenged it, so that didn't work out. But I've gotten good Pokemon my trip; they're a big part of the reason why I'm doing so well. This guy won the first two badges all on his own." He patted Picasso's beret, causing him to make a soft laughing sound.

He went along with the interview, as the three webshow anchors seemed interested in it. And then it had to be brought back up. "Hey, there's something else I've been thinking about," Diego said, grinning in a worrisome way. "I said I'd challenge you when you got up to my level, back when I had five badges. So I'm calling you on it now."

"They're just allowing single Pokemon battles, though," Dan pointed out.

"That's fine," Diego replied. "They're letting the audience pick which Pokemon we'll be using. What do you say?"

Polaris shrugged. "Sure, why not? Although I'd think you're still ahead of me."

"We'll see."

Although they signed up for the match soon after the interview, their turn wasn't called up until half an hour later (even though it had been apparently bumped due to Diego's popularity). The audience would be watching downstairs, while they fought in an indoor arena on the second floor. Amy and Ichigo from the webshow followed them up, though, so they could film the match themselves. At a scanning station, Polaris registered his Pokemon so they were recognized as legal by League standards, and so that the audience downstairs could vote on which one of his they wanted to see. It turned out that they wanted to see Varia the Scyllamone against Kel the Selkyrie.

"Ah, the classic deep sea battle," Diego said in amusement. After taking up one of his Pokeballs, he said, "I'm ready."

Polaris took Varia's ball. "Me too."

"All right then," the female referee said, standing outside the battle ring. "This is a single Pokemon match for both sides, until one Pokemon is knocked out. No items, no breaks. And three… two… one… go!"

"Varia, you get to show off," Polaris said as he released his Pokemon.

The Scyllamone giggled as she appeared on the wooden floor, waving her pink anemone tentacles and waving over at the other side. But then Diego released a real monster of a Pokemon, one that dwarfed Varia. Being sent out on 'dry land', the Selkyrie stretched out like a sea serpent, with a red-tinged white seal tail attached to a seven foot long serpentine body and a tattered looking horse head. It screeched, shaking a red bony crest in intimidation. Varia just sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Seed it and wear it down," Polaris ordered.

On the other side, Diego said, "Curse and then attack strong."

While his strategy was depending on Varia's toughness, Diego went for an aggressive stance, ignoring the Leech Seed and the cut health from using Curse. Kel slithered over and bashed her head into Varia, then snatched her by the tentacles and threw her into a column. The Scyllamone did her best to stay alert, but the Selkyrie turned out to be just too strong. She and Diego won the match.

As they went downstairs, Diego tapped him. "Don't feel too bad. I've got Kel set up to take down opponents with tough defenses."

"It sure looks like that," he replied. Still, when they got back down, a lot of people wanted to talk to Diego, not him. Except for Picasso, who came over and hugged him. The loss of attention was okay by him.

But as he was considering leaving right then, Diego caught him again. "Oh hey, I was thinking: do you have a sponsor?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I hadn't considered that. I get by well enough with my paintings and battle earnings."

"Still, what happens after you get out of the League? My parents bugged me about it all the time, like if I would have a place to live or a job after that. Getting a sponsor is nice for that, as you can get a nice savings started up."

"That would be something parents would be worried about," he said, smiling some. But that was true. He still didn't have a permanent home and if some emergency came up, he might burn through what savings he did have. I can introduce you to somebody who's looking for someone to sponsor. That's part of why I thought to invite you. Come over here."

That would be a help, although he would have to consider what the Arkahns would think. He wouldn't want to go with someone who stood for beliefs countering theirs. "All right; thanks for thinking of me." He followed Diego through the crowded party.

At a table near the wall, he spotted none other than Mr. Jacobs. Even at this party, he seemed focused on business, with his laptop on the table and a file folder open nearby. Polaris considered just avoiding him, but it turned out that was who Diego was talking about. "Hey, Mr. Jacobs, I'm still sticking with my old sponsor, but I brought the guy I was talking about. This is Polaris Starr, and this is David Jacobs, the CEO of Ease-Z-Life Incorporated."

"We have met before, briefly," Polaris said, feeling his face get warm. Beside him, Picasso clung to his shirt, watching him warily.

"Yes, you painted our family portrait," Mr. Jacobs said, then looked to the one-eared Smeargle. "And you got him… well, that's the past, nothing to dwell on." He smiled and although it looked sincere, Polaris doubted that it was. "I have heard interesting things about you. Are you looking for a private sponsor? My company works mostly in plastics and chemicals, but we have plenty of excellent products for Pokemon Trainers."

"I've seen some," he replied. Inwardly, he was trying to figure out what to do. He didn't really want to ally with Mr. Jacobs. Even past how he was working against the Arkahna people, Polaris wouldn't forget the fuss he'd raised over Picasso last year.

But right now, he could use Mr. Jacobs' assistance, or at least approval. It could help if Desolaire was still in Taigen's collection. The businessman might listen, or he might not. But would it be worth it to humor him for a while? At least long enough to check things out.

It would be better than to ignore or argue with him, Polaris decided. Having only thought it through a second, he added, "I'm considering getting a sponsor. It'd be good to have more secure finances than I've had." That kind of thinking ought to appeal to him.

And Mr. Jacobs did nod in approval. "One must always be considering security and the future. How have you been doing in the League? Which badges do you have?"

"Good, I suppose," Polaris said. "I have six: Acrobat, Monolith, Zen, Ranch, Grace, and Thorn."

"In seven months," Diego teased him. "He's moving up the ranks fast for someone who never battled before starting. It'd only be more impressive if you had seven in so many months. There is the Steel Gym here, though."

"That would be quite the accomplishment," Mr. Jacobs said.

Polaris spoke with Mr. Jacobs and Diego for a while, but both he and Jacobs weren't ready to settle on an agreement yet. Maybe if he did pick up the badge here this week. He did want to stall for a bit, so that he could get the license from the police as a psychic informant. But he did get Mr. Jacob's business card. Not much, but it was a bit of progress.

After that, he stayed a while longer, mostly to wait on their raffle drawings. Neither of his tickets ended up as a winning number. But waiting did turn out to be a good decision. A woman in a navy blue pinstripe dress came over to him. "Excuse me sir, but is this your Smeargle?"

"Yes, this is Picasso," he said. "I brought him along because he's my friend. I'm Polaris."

"Koh?" the Smeargle asked, looking up from a coloring page he had gotten a hold of. He was using crayons to make a pink Phanphy. That kind of distraction usually kept him out of trouble.

"This lady wanted to meet you, I think," he said.

Picasso smiled and waved at her, then turned back to his coloring. That didn't last long, as she put her hand to his beret to look at him closer. Perhaps wondering if she had any snacks, the Smeargle leaned back and sniffed at her hand before letting her touch him.

"Yes; I'm Tonya, the local Chairman of the Pokemon Fan Club. I always like seeing unique Pokemon. What happened to his ear?"

"That happened just before he officially became mine," Polaris explained. "He was something of a trouble Pokemon, having been passed from Trainer to Trainer. He's actually doing quite well compared to before, better than what the Pokecenter psychologist thought he could do." He scratched Picasso's head, just below his fur beret. The Pokemon grabbed his hand and clasped it. "Still a bit melodramatic at times, but there's never a dull moment with him around."

She chuckled. "I see. He is a very happy Pokemon, and it's quite clear that he adores you. I always find that Pokemon do their best when they're with someone they love. Oh, here." Tracy opened her purse, then brought out a round gold bell ornament on an adjustable red necklace cord. "I make these myself; this is a Soothe Bell. It has a pretty sound that Pokemon like; it calms nervous ones and makes them easier to befriend. You may have this in honor of your friendship with Picasso. It will surely help you make many more Pokemon friends."

"Really? Thank you." Polaris took the accessory, causing it to chime easily. "I think most of mine are happy, but it could help later on."

"Right. And you're welcome to join the Pokemon Fan Club too. We're dedicated to spreading love and respect for Pokemon all over the world, no matter what kind it is. It makes everyone happier."

"That's true." And it gave him an idea. "Tracy, I'm just wondering… do you know of the Arkahna people? Their religion is based on respect of Pokemon. They're not too sure of outsiders; I'm still working on making friends with them. But, I think if they see that others respect Pokemon too, like you, then they would be more willing to open up to the rest of the world."

Tracy put her hand to her chin. "Really? I knew of them, but not a lot. It would be fitting, though, if Pokemon helped ease the tensions here."

He nodded. "Right. Although, I doubt you'll get many here in Graystone. Maybe if you started up a group in, um…" he thought over where he'd been and which place wouldn't seem too invasive. "Mayberry or in that area near the grasslands. That has a good mixed community, I remember."

"I see. I'll have to bring it up at the next meeting. Thanks for the idea; I think this could work out well."

"I hope it does."

* * *

June 26th, year 59

Polaris and Picasso entered the Graystone Gym again; for the past two days, he had an open challenge here in order to practice and train against the Gym Trainers. As such, he intentionally challenged the more experienced ones instead of just any, sometimes battling them a second time. A lot of it was for making himself of more interest to Mr. Jacobs as a potential sponsoree.

Once past the entrance, the Gym opened up to a large open room, like a tower. Reaching up seven stories, the roof could be seen through the enormous metal sculpture in the middle of the room. It was supported by a steel column in the middle and a web of steel supports reaching out to the walls. A maze of narrow passages wound itself all the way to the top. Every now and then, there were enormous spherical rooms for battle.

"It's all been very close quarters here," Polaris noted. "Most Steel Pokemon are large and every place for battle here is enclosed. It's clever, since you can't take a long-distance approach against them."

"Feh," Picasso said, then made a mock punch in the air.

"Yeah, you're all doing well so far. Well, we'd better not put this off too much longer. Let's get up there."

They entered the walkway maze. About three feet wide, it had white bars that obscured vision of the other paths. There were occasional colored marks that might relate to some code. The crossings were bewildering, not one of them a straight perpendicular cross. Sometimes, there were five openings to choose from. Other times, there were ladders or staircases. But despite attempts to confuse, Polaris could visualize what the structure looked like. He could see the fake safe paths that seemed to lead away but wound up right at the battle rooms. Although it took a lot of walking, he found a path that stayed away from the Gym Trainers.

At the top of the Tower, he met with the creator of this steel maze. Stella Sterling had long gray hair, but her face was that of a woman in her thirties. She wore a simple outfit of a silvery top, gray-blue jeans, and dark gray boots. And while her jewelry was simple too, she wore a lot of it: about a dozen bracelets on each arm, long spiral earrings, several necklace chains attached to a thick choker, and even a steel-colored hair band. She had taken her favorite type to heart.

She didn't even glance at her computer screen before smiling at him. "Oh, you are young Mr. Starr, right? The painter from St. Rosaline?"

"Yes I am, Ms. Sterling." He shook hands with her and returned the smile. "I'm glad to meet you; your sculptures are always so elegant and light."

"Yes, but your portraits and pictures of Pokemon are so lively, full of character. I had heard you were in the League now, although I didn't expect to meet with you so soon. And at such a high level too; you're rising quite quickly."

"I've got good Pokemon with me."

"We shall see about that. I might admire you as a fellow artist, but this is a time of battle." She went back to her stand, taking her team up. "I hope you're ready."

"We are," Polaris said, followed by a whistle from Picasso.

"Right then." She took a Pokeball and released her first Pokemon. "Skarmory, groundwork."

"Picasso, stay out," Polaris said, waving the Smeargle forward. "Attack with fire."

Dropping down to a battle ready posture, Picasso sketched the sign for fire in the air. On the other side, the large steel bird pulled a wing over its chest, then flung it aside grandly to toss dozens of small metal spikes on the metal floor. It seemed Stella participated in some Contests as well. As the Flamethrower went active, Picasso flicked some of the spikes out of his way.

"Keep at it," Polaris told Picasso. The shrine maidens might have been able to take this one down quicker, but he wanted the Smeargle to feel appreciated and acknowledged. Although it had been months ago, he hadn't forgotten why Picasso was missing his left ear.

It took two more Flamethrowers to take the Skarmory down, after which Picasso was breathing hard at taking two Steel Wings. Polaris recalled the Smeargle, but waited a second to see which Pokemon Stella would call out next. As it turned out to be a three-foot tall rabbit with flames covering its body, he reached for his Scyllamone. An off-type; she was trying to throw off expectations.

"Jacafrare, use your antlers," Stella ordered.

"Varia get rid of those spikes," Polaris said.

"Sheah," she replied, putting her hand to her blank face. As the Jacafrare made his antlers gain a metallic sheen and charged at her, she whipped her tentacles around to clear the area and hit him some. She giggled and took the chin of the attacking Pokemon.

The rabbit Pokemon's eyes melted into affection as he appeared to forget the battle. "Heff?"

"Jacafrare," Stella called firmly, trying to snap him out of the funk.

"Wash him away," Polaris said.

Oddly, Varia sighed and waved a hand, summoning a large wave of water from nowhere to strike and knock out the Jacafrare. Perhaps she was annoyed that he wouldn't let her use the field form of Surf. She then plucked out a spike that had remained on her body and tossed it away.

Next, Stella brought out a Bronzong. As the large steel bell floated off the floor, Polaris swapped out Varia for Lethe. A pair of attacks knocked the Bronzong out, although Lethe took a pretty good hit. Next, there was a Tutalip, a small tulip-like Steel Pokemon that flung a nasty storm of metal fragments at Lethe, but it got knocked out in one hit. Then there was a Mawile that had a nasty Crunch attack with its metal jaws. Once Lethe knocked it out, the Katisp looked quite worn.

Polaris went ahead and recalled her while Stella released her last Pokemon: a Lucario. He released his Garchomp. "Go all out," he told her. If she got knocked out, he was left with two exhausted Pokemon and three not-entirely-suitable ones.

Tesla nodded, then used an Earthquake to trip up the Lucario. It insisted on turning the battle into a brawl then. Tesla persevered and won that match.

"Wonderful job," Stella said as she handed him the reward box. "You have some lovely Pokemon and keep them well-groomed."

He smiled bashfully. "I figure it keeps everybody happy, that's all."

For winning the match, he got eight thousand dollars, the Statue Badge (shaped like a modern metal sculpture, of course), and an Iron Defense TM.

* * *

Jasper Region Pokedex

Key search: Selkyrie

Selken - **Selkyrie**

Type: Ghost/Water

Ability: Pressure

Description: Selkyrie has a seven-foot long bony seal-mermaid body and tail of rusty red. The white torso is skeletal and leathery, often said to be like a zombie, with four long bony arms and a bony fin along its spine. The spine fin is coral pink. Selkyrie's head resembles that of Huntail, except white and red. And a crest, with is made up of red bones with pale pink skin stretched between them.

Notes: Selkyrie is a rather disliked Pokemon, perhaps unjustly so. Many people are disturbed by its appearance and old superstitions say that they are messengers of doom and death. While it is true that they can seem cruel when wild, they can become a good and loyal Pokemon, like any other. Selkyries are fine out of the sea, but make sure that it drinks plenty of water. (A. Hollows)

Key search: Jacafrare

Frare - Frabbit - **Jacafrare**

Type: Fire/Normal

Ability: Flash Fire

Description: As a three-foot-tall rabbit, its vest fire coat has grown denser and is now bright yellow, while its paw and ear flames are yellowish green (in scientific terms, that means they're burning hotter than red/orange flames). Its fur coat, while still very short, is a bit more brown than orange. It has a pair of curving antelope horns in front of its leaned back ears, cream-tan at the base and moving to cream-orange at the tips.

Notes: Jacafrare is a highly versatile Pokemon, capable of learning a wide range of moves. It still prefers speed-oriented strategies, but if you've raised it from a Frare, it should be more open to focusing on other areas. If not, it can be a stubborn and willful traded Pokemon, not using moves that it does not like. At this stage, you shouldn't have to worry about accidental fires either. (S. Redbird)

Key search: Tutalip

Bultala - **Tutalip** (requires Dawn, Sun, or Bright Stone)

Type: Steel/Grass

Ability: Sturdy/Grip

Description: Tutalip looks like a cross between a tulip and a fancy stand lamp. Around a foot and a half tall, it has five black metal roots that act as feet, leading to a thick light gray body. Coming out from near the roots are five long leaves with a waxy-polished finish, although they are dark gray. These leaves come out and up, 'cupping' around the main body. Its light gray stem splits into three. While the central stem is taller, it bends over so that its flower points downward. Behind that flower, there is a thick ring that supports its black eyes. The dark blue flower petals disguise a mouth of sharp teeth. The other two stems have dark green flowers that stand upward like normal tulips. As with Bultal, Tutalip is made entirely of metal.

Notes: Tultalip makes for a good pet Pokemon for a child, an elderly person, or anyone who may have trouble with active Pokemon. It is highly resilient, looks unique, and doesn't require much care; simply giving it attention will make for a happy and loving Pokemon. But with some work, Tutalip can also be a reliable battle or show Pokemon. The only real restriction would be finding the stones required to evolve it from Bultal. Then again, the only difference in which stone is used is in what particular extra move Tutalip can learn upon evolving. (S. Sterling)


	26. To Awaken the Sun

June 27th, year 59

Police Station, Graystone City

Polaris returned to meet with the police psychic Linda. This time, they met in what seemed to be the break room. A coat rack with just two jackets hanging on it was by the door, while a little kitchenette stood by some tables. It looked like it was just the two of them in there; it must have been a busy day.

"First of all, I should tell you that the last test was made to filter out any fakes," Linda said. "We only call back those who actually display potential, so we can certify you right now. We just need to pin down what exactly you can do."

"Oh, well that's good," he said, smiling. "Do you get a lot of fakes?"

She waved her hand a bit. "Sometimes a few, sometimes a lot. Interest in psychic powers in humans comes and goes, but enough stubborn scam artists come through that we developed this testing system so we waste less time on those who just know how to manipulate nonverbal language, among other things. Now while you are confirmed to have some potential, you still need training; you can only pick up on the really strong signals, as you suggested last time. So put this on."

He took the bracelet she gave him, a leather band with several crystals around it. "Okay. What does it do?" He put it over his wrist and slipped a button through a loop to secure it.

"It boosts your power and focus. Now, I want you to tell me if there's anything peculiar about this room."

This room? He didn't know how it was normally. He clasped the bracelet with his right hand. Around him, he got a sense of many emotions, from many people. Linda was keeping her emotions closed to him, something she had learned to do over the years. But there seemed to be another in the room who wasn't quite as restrained, one who wondered if he would notice her. He got an image of a particular Pokemon.

"Oh, there's a Grumpig in here," he said. "Hiding behind the fridge, I think. She's trained for police work too, but even with the given stoic and neutral attitude, she's quite cheerful and can't hide that fully."

There came a chortle from behind the fridge, then the Grumpig stepped out and walked up to them. The black and violet pig Pokemon waved to them and went over to a bench to sit down. At that, Linda nodded and brought him over. "Yes, this is Gretel. She'll be the one to actually determine what your powers are. But as I thought, you have a strong leaning towards empathy; you knew her personality before you saw her. And you can detect others around you; you just need the training to bring that signal into your conscious mind."

"That's good," he said, joining them by the tables. Having that ability to detect proven would help with finding Desolaire. Of course, he felt that he would sense her anyhow.

"Sit by her, please," Linda said, opening up a laptop on the table. "You have to let her scan your aura. Have you ever had that done by a psychic?"

"I don't think so."

She nodded and opened up a program. "Then I'll warn you that your own mind will try to resist, to protect you. It will feel strange, but you need to allow her to look."

"Snurff oik ko," Gretel said, closing her eyes and bowing her head. "Snurk snoik snuffle shoff."

"She swears that she does not intend to harm you or intrude on any secrets."

Did she understand Pokemon speech, or just telepathy? Polaris nodded, then looked to the Grumpig. "Okay, I trust you. You're a good Pokemon."

Gretel looked back to him, twitching her snout and looking pleased. Then the black pearls on her chest shimmered. Immediately, Polaris felt his skin prickle in response to the touch of another mind. No, he had been touched like this by another Pokemon. But that was Lurker. Gretel's touch was much different; she was being gentle as promised, just trying to sense how he sensed. Polaris tried to ignore his impulse to panic and block her out. Even if he would try, he wasn't sure how to.

Then her touch was gone and Gretel was looking to Linda. The police woman had her eyes half-closed and the Grumpig didn't say much. So she must be a telepath.

After a moment, she looked over to them, surprised. "Really?" she asked aloud.

Gretel nodded. "Snorffle."

"Huh." After making some notes, Linda said, "Okay, we have the detect and empathy confirmed. Gretel picked up two other peculiarities to your powers, though. You have the potential to act as a muse, inspiring those around you. It's a chaotic power, as you can't really control what gets inspired. The only way to train that is to socialize with a lot of people; it will develop over time."

"Okay," he said. It made sense to him when the thought on it, as the muse ability could have been passed on to him through Lunarium's blessing. Did he inherit something from Desolaire already or not?

"But the surprising thing is that you can understand the words of the immortals," Linda added.

That puzzled him. Sure, he had spoken to several of them, but he hadn't seen that as remarkable. "That's surprising?"

Gretel chuckled while Linda nodded. "Yes; it's a power I've heard of, but not seen in anyone. Not that I know of, at least. Some immortals will speak readily to humans; I hear that Zepharia around here can and has been understood by many people. Other immortals will speak clearly to Pokemon, but not humans. Most of the time, though, mortals of either kind cannot fully comprehend the immortals. Their voices come through roughly, or sound otherworldly. You can understand any of them clearly, it seems."

Roughly… yeah, when he'd first encountered Darkrai, he hadn't understood the nightmare god well. But when they had met in the Dark shrine, Polaris had understood him clearly. It didn't seem special; then again, prophets were supposed to speak with the gods for others. But he must have gotten that months ago, for he'd understood Rubledge when she first introduced herself as Garnet.

"You are the artist who's been painting the local immortals, right?" Linda asked. "I saw the picture of Hu-kyo at the museum. Are you speaking with them?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm getting this informant confirmation in order to look for one of them, actually. I don't want to talk much on it yet, but it could be complicated legally."

"I see. From the lawyer who contacted us?" When he nodded, she made a note on her computer. "I might want to keep an eye on that case, then, if it comes up. Let me print up a civilian psychic informant card for you. I wish you luck on your search." When a snortle came in, she added, "Gretel does too."

"Thank you, both of you," he said, patting the Grumpig on the head.

* * *

Polaris rode the Graystone subway to its northern end, in order to reach the Taigen hideout. He had considered calling Mr. Jacobs back, but decided to check out the place himself first. While he had to return the mental focus bracelet, he knew that he could sense a Pokemon of her power. And given how powerfully he had felt connected to Lunarium when awakening her, it should be obvious to him if Desolaire was there. It might be a test of his restraint to avoid awakening her there, though. The Arkahn's lawyer wanted him to just inform him if she was there.

When the subway train stopped, he started to get up with Picasso. But then a woman spoke up near him. "You wouldn't mind if I joined you, please?"

He turned to see an Arkahn woman there, with blue-tinged black hair and odd silver eyes. But it was more than just that color that told him that those weren't the eyes of a human. "Lunarium?" he asked.

"That's right," she said. "So?"

He smiled. "Sure, if you'd like. She might be at this place; I was just going to check it out." He took Picasso's paw and left the train. Lunarium in human form followed him. "So why do you look like that now?"

"It's just an illusion," she explained. "That and restraining my influence usually lets me blend with a crowd. I wasn't too sure about these modern fashions, though. I haven't seen fabrics like these before."

She was wearing dark blue jeans and a black top with sheer sleeves. "That looks pretty normal," he said. "Except that you're not wearing any shoes."

"Oh right; those are more common these days." She snapped her fingers and made a pair of black flats appear on her feet. No one else had noticed so far, but it would look out of place to be barefoot in a city. Not as much as the silver eyes, but he wasn't sure how much she could control that. Eyes were windows to the soul, after all.

They left the subway station to emerge in a high class suburb. Large and fancy homes lined the streets, with showy gardens and signs of a neighborhood watch. Stopping a moment to check his computer, Polaris looked over a map and reminded himself of the route. Lunarium looked over the area, showing interest in a bird bath.

"It's a couple of streets this way," he said, starting to walk again. "Do you know what's going on with this?"

She nodded. "About Taigen? Yes, I've been following you. I certainly won't like leaving her either if she is here. But if that's what it takes to get her recognized as what she is… although I could prove it in other ways." She smiled playfully. "So you learned of your powers recently."

"What they're called, at least. Is Desolaire a muse too? That was intense, when I fell under your influence."

She shook her head. "No, she's more of the empath. She's always felt so strongly for others because she could feel their hearts."

"And why she lashed out so strongly against the in-fighting?" Polaris asked.

"Yes. I may have to talk her into being more secluded like me."

He looked around, but there weren't many people out. "I wasn't told until recently that your prophet is usually the leader of the Arkahna people. I don't know what to think of that. I don't think I'd be qualified to be that too."

"It's not absolutely necessary for things to be that way," Lunarium said. "But if it's not, then the one chosen as leader has to be one we can all trust. And not many humans can understand me and my sister. We can telepathically speak with Pokemon, but not that well with humans."

"Why is that? Are we so different than you?" That was something he'd always wondered, as some Pokemon had such human-like personalities and habits, but there were always differences. Things that one kind could do that the other could not. But then, Arkahna tradition did turn what he thought was truth into a falsehood.

"That is a discussion that could take a long time." She seemed amused at it. "Whose world do you think this was, in the beginning? That of humans or that of Pokemon?"

That caused him to think. "I don't know much of the old myths," he admitted. "But… I think it was of Pokemon, because we find fossils of them and there are ruins around that people can't explain."

"Then where did humans come from?" She giggled. "I might tell you what I've heard. Later. Is this the place?"

He looked over to the brown building that stood dwarfed between two houses. It seemed quite plain in this neighborhood, but the sign declared that it was important, as a museum. "Right, this is it. Do you sense her?"

"Maybe an afterimage of her, but underground. She shouldn't be underground. We'd best go down inside and see. Or…" she put her hand on his shoulder, looking at the building.

"What is it?" he asked, looking at the building himself. He should try sensing it himself, but he wasn't sure what he should be looking for. Or maybe it was all on an unconscious level, as Linda has suggested.

"I might want to just watch again," she said quietly, still looking in there. "I may intervene. Keep your wits about you. Or, consider this a test." After glancing around, she vanished. 'Someone means to test your resolve inside.'

Desolaire, then? They might have spoken to each other without him hearing. He nodded, then looked down to Picasso. The Smeargle was sniffing the spot where Lunarium's illusion had been. "They aren't letting free Pokemon inside," he said. "Sorry, but you've got to sit this one out."

Picasso sniffed in distaste, but made no other objections to be recalled to his Pokeball. Polaris went into the museum. It seemed like this was a quiet day for them. That could give him more time to look around.

Inside, there was a lobby that seemed rather boring for a museum. There was a white tiled floor, wooden benches with aqua colored cushions, a few preview pieces, signs, and a receptionist desk. It didn't even have a gift shop. At the back of the room, there was a black iron railing surrounding a staircase going down. There was a large stone slab displayed near that entrance. It had a symbol of a box with two lines to one side; that was a slab that required Strength to move. Perhaps that had been the original entrance.

There were four people around the receptionist's desk, though. Three seemed to be workers, going over an inventory list. And the fourth was Mr. Jacobs. "Ah, what an unexpected meeting," the businessman said, smiling at him. "Hello Mr. Starr."

"Oh, hello Mr. Jacobs," he said. Deciding to attempt a bluff, he added, "What are you doing here?"

"Checking in on my property, that's all. It's surprising that you would take the time to come out to this museum, rather than the bigger ones in downtown."

"Well I had visited the main art museum here," he said. "And I heard about this guy Denkrill, who apparently was an art thief, among other things. I thought it sounded interesting."

"I see. There are some very interesting pieces downstairs." Jacobs looked to the receptionist and waved. "Let him through as a guest of mine without paying the entrance fee."

"Oh, that's all right, you don't have to do that," Polaris said. It was a nice offer, but this man wasn't the sort to give charity without expecting something in return.

"It's fine," Jacobs replied.

"All right," the receptionist said. "Would you like a guide for the museum, sir?"

He shook his head. "No, I should be all right on my own. Thank you, Mr. Jacobs."

"No problem." He then turned back to the workers, involved in that task.

Down the stairs was a carved out rock tunnel. The museum had poured a layer of concrete to give a flat surface to the floor, as well as added electric lights. On the wall, there were plaques and pictures telling of how this place had been discovered, as well as some history behind Taigen Denkrill. A few pictures showed the caverns as they were found: filled will all kinds of ill-gotten treasures and artifacts. Not that Mr. Jacobs really needed that kind of wealth; he had made his fortune well before this place was uncovered.

Something really bothered Polaris about this place. Sometimes he felt a sense of sunlight on his skin, despite being underground. It wasn't constant enough to fully convince him that Desolaire was here, though. Other times, he thought he heard someone talking at the edge of his hearing, like he wasn't close enough to understand the words. There might be other visitors, or staff talking. He also felt a sense that someone was watching him, but not on the physical plane. Like a ghost, but not a kind one.

He still tried to look around the museum to see what was there. There were precious artifacts, like jewelry made of gold, jasper, jade, pearls, and other precious materials. There were books that were likely invaluable artifacts of Arkahna history, here where they could not learn from them. And there were objects that seemed to have some ceremonial or religious significance, treated here just as items to show off. Maybe someday soon, they could receive this all back.

"The gods aren't important anymore."

The voice seemed to come from the next room, but it sent chills all over his skin. Polaris stepped into the doorway, but cautiously did not enter fully. While he was expecting a man to be in there, there was no one. There were a number of traditional paintings of the Spirit Clan, like a long scroll depicting Hu-kyo. And at the far wall, there was one of the time Desolaire and Lunarium met a human the first time. It was a woman… she was called Blair, right? Perhaps the Sun Knight who kept watch over him was named for her. Polaris went into the room, to get a closer look at that painting.

"You have been gone for so long and we have done well on our own."

He stopped before he got there, hearing that voice clearer. His vision seemed to flicker like a television receiving two channels at once. While he was in the museum, he was also in Taigen's hoard, in the distant past watching the master thief speak.

It was the same man he had seen entering Desolaire's shrine, a man with black hair with green highlights in an unflattering manner. He had a grin that seemed so confident, yet intimidated with some hidden secret. "You know that, don't you?" he said, seemingly speaking to no one. "Don't try to pretend that you can't hear me. I know that you're trying to wake up. But what's going to happen when you do? They've built up such a sacred image of you, of perfection, warmth, and cheer. They think that everything will be solved if they can awaken you again. But what's going to happen when you do emerge from this enchanted sleep? They will look upon you and see a pitiful, weak, stubborn, and miserable Pokemon who can't even break her own spell without assistance."

Then she responded, from another room. Polaris heard it oddly, like the soft crackles of a campfire. 'I don't have to listen to you,' Desolaire said. 'You only care about a few things: money, power, and cruelty. You could never do anything out of kindness.'

But Taigen just kept grinning. "I'm not the only one like that, am I? You know it is true. The people you like best, they are so very rare that they may as well be non-existent. As for the rest of us, we don't need gods or goddesses. Especially not ones like you. We can make our own, in the image of our true selves. And those gods will utterly destroy soft-hearted fools such as yourself."

"I thought you might be among the art exhibits."

The images and voices of the past vanished abruptly, leaving Polaris tense. He turned and saw Mr. Jacobs coming into the room. "Oh, yes, of course," he said, trying to calm down as best he could. "These images, they're from different times in Arkahna history; you can tell by the style. But I don't know their art history well enough to say what piece is from when." That at least was true, something he quickly confirmed by glancing at the other works.

If he noticed, Mr. Jacobs didn't say anything about it. "Yes. We're not quite sure ourselves about many items here; the natives are a secretive culture. I don't believe many have come down here. And they don't take well to modern life either. I bought this land off one years ago, in order to set up the neighborhood above us. Now they are raising a fuss over this particular piece of it. If they hadn't found it for themselves, I don't think they cared enough to search hard enough."

"Nobody is going to find you down here," Polaris heard Taigen say. "They see the doorway and assume that it is a sacred site. As they think they can't come in without permission, and no one but you and I know what's down here, no one will ever come."

"They might not have known anything was down here," Polaris said to Mr. Jacobs. Maybe engaging in a conversation would keep those voices away.

"To be honest, I didn't know either, but I am the one who owns this property. That shouldn't concern us now, I think." He smiled to him. "I've heard that you defeated Ms. Sterling not too long ago. You really are doing a marvelous job as a League challenger."

"Better than I expected, I'll admit," he replied. But he still had that skin crawling feeling, to the point where he really did not want to be here any longer. However, he didn't want to go back to the lawyer with an inconclusive statement that Desolaire might be there, but he wasn't certain.

"There is something else in here that might really interest you, then," Mr. Jacobs said. "We haven't put it on display yet, but it would be all right if I took you in back. It's evidence of a highly unusual Pokemon. Do you want to go look at it?"

Like Desolaire? "Sure, if it's no trouble," he said. "I know some people who are interested in rare Pokemon."

Mr. Jacobs started talking to him then, about the sponsorship opportunity. Things like stopping a lifestyle of moving from day to day in favor of saving for the future, and earning the money he might want should he want to settle down, marry, and start a family. But Polaris found it hard to follow his words. The words of the past kept coming into his mind, blocking out what he was hearing in the present. To make matters worse, he saw that his suspicions about Taigen having learned from a Cricarsh were correct. He was a poisonous psychic who could find anyone's weaknesses… and he had a captive goddess who was struggling to escape depression.

Right as he realized that he was mechanically nodding and following after Mr. Jacobs without knowing what the man was talking about, they entered a storage room in the back of the museum's back, one the paying visitors would never see. And Desolaire was in there. At least, her body was. Polaris had a strong feeling that her spirit wasn't there, somehow. And of what was here… it looked to be in bad shape. The red and gold threads of her tassel were still, and there were visible cracks in the gold-speckled orb.

"This room was a mess when we found it," Mr. Jacobs said, going inside. "There were threads everywhere, with glass shards and metal fragments. Not only that, but there was a skeleton in here; we believe it was Taigen himself, as there was never a recording of when or where he died. But when we repaired it, it seems that we also had the remains of one of the local legends, Desolaire."

Was she dead? His mind flickered back to the past. Taigen was right about where Mr. Jacobs was. Desolaire was in her half-asleep state in the center of the small room. And the emotional pain in the room, it was almost enough to smother him.

"What a pitiful sight," Taigen said, although he sounded pleased and smug about it. He seemed inhuman, perhaps going farther than even a Cricarsh would go in tormenting a victim. "You have only realized just now how terrible you are as a goddess? Who could love you after seeing you like this? Not even your sister."

'Lu-Lunarium?' Desolaire said. At that moment, all she could imagine was the worst possible outcome.

"She was reluctant to go along with your plan," he said, although it was something he should not have known. But he wasn't letting her get away with holding secrets from him. "And you have only wrapped yourself in dark sadness, not even listening to the outside world. How selfish and cold-hearted of you to become so self-absorbed, just because you could no longer bear to feel so much pain, greed, and cruelty around you. Not even she could ever love you again."

That made her snap, destroying her own body in a moment of uncontrollable grief. Several of the pieces flew right into Taigen, killing him in a matter of minutes. But despite the destruction of her physical self, Desolaire was still alive. Her spirit was horrified, both at the thought that she had inadvertently killed someone and that Lunarium might despise her. She fled, not wanting to be found by anyone.

Not long after, Taigen's ghost emerged. He caught the feeling of pain that Desolaire had left behind, showing to him like an obvious trail. Grinning, he pursued her.

Polaris felt a sudden jostling that snapped him out of that vision. Mr. Jacobs had grabbed his upper arm. "You are the prophet of Desolaire."

"Huh?" He stepped back, partly trying to get out of the intense emotional afterimage of Taigen and Desolaire. "What do you mean?"

Jacobs did not seem so friendly anymore. "Last year, an artifact was stolen from this museum," he said. "It was called the Transcriber, and supposedly could awaken the gods. We searched for the thief, but he turned up dead somewhere outside of St. Rosaline. There was some nonsense about him getting killed by demons. And now, the legendary Pokemon of this region have been waking up. No one is quite sure who has done this. However, you have been producing quite spectacular paintings of these legendary Pokemon, within a month or two of their awakenings. Word has come around that the new prophet is an outsider. You must have the Transcriber and have come here to awaken her."

'Your greed permeates these walls,' Desolaire's words from the past came to him. 'But you're never satisfied because there is no way to buy love.'

"The world isn't as pretty as it is in your mind," Taigen countered.

No, focus on the present. Polaris tried to tap into his Dark power, as that would resist all the psychic signals around him. It alleviated the problem some. "Mr. Jacobs, she has to come out of here. This place is corrupted; it must hurt anyone who stays here long enough."

"She's dead," Jacobs replied. "There's no point. Besides, this proves something very important. The Pokemon people call gods are not all powerful. They're not invincible. Their myths have been exaggerated so much in the past. All that matters is the idea that they are sacred, and once you realize that they are nothing more than very rare Pokemon, then even that doesn't matter."

"You might want to be careful in saying things like that," Polaris said. "I have four powerful Pokemon in my team that make this religion the entire focus of their lives."

This didn't dissuade him. "You still control them. If they harm me, the blame will fall on you."

And if that happened, Polaris knew, then Mr. Jacobs would make sure to ruin his life in any way possible.

"If you'll step away from all the rhetoric, you'll realize that you're in a position to do something revolutionary. This whole region is constrained by the backwards beliefs of the native peoples; they're trying to fight against modern technology. But they see you as the one who speaks to the gods. You can bring them in line with modern expectations. And you could really make something of yourself in the process."

"No, I don't worship you," Taigen hissed at Desolaire. "But I can make you worship me."

"What do you get out of this?" Polaris asked. He put his hand to his forehead. "You wouldn't try this if something wasn't in it for you… really, this place is terrible. No one should be here."

"You're being too sensitive," Jacobs said. "There is nothing wrong here."

"Desolaire was tortured here!" Polaris shouted. It was getting to be too much now. "You're too interested in money and power. You… you want to keep her but you know that if anyone else finds out, you're going to find a public backlash. You don't even care if she's alive or dead, just that there's no other Pokemon like her in the world. You don't deserve to keep her." He glanced back to the room where she was. Only, it was empty now.

'I have her body,' Lunarium's voice came to him. 'It seems that you won't be able to awaken her like us… you'll have to find her soul.'

"What is wrong with you?" Mr. Jacobs asked. "Are you mad or have you really accepted those stagnant beliefs?"

Before he could think of an answer, Lunarium told him what was wrong. 'Your mind isn't trained enough to resist being overwhelmed by places like that. But have faith; you should be able to find the trail to Desolaire and Taigen once you leave the conscious world. At least speak with my sister, please. I will owe you so much…'

Polaris looked to Mr. Jacobs, trying to get the last bit of his focus on this. "I'm a psychic empath," he said. "I told you… Desolaire was tortured here. I don't yet know how to resist tapping into those images of the past. But I can't work with you. I must respect the wishes of my masters."

The image of Jacobs flickered, then went out.

Now that he had fallen unconscious, Polaris found the tunnels to have reverted to their old form, lit by dim yellow crystals and rough edged all around. Instead of neat rows of storage shelves and cabinets, there were piles of things, the treasures and the artworks, all kept here so that no one else could take them. Or appreciate them. He went back to the small room and found it as mess, like Mr. Jacobs had described. Taigen was a corpse, though, not a skeleton. And there was a sparkling trail in midair, like little pebbles of gold. When he came close, he realized that it was actually tears hanging there.

It went right into the rock walls. Hoping this would be like some dream, Polaris followed the path into the earth. It was like walking down a dark brown tunnel, lit by the tears. And somewhere in the distance, there was a spot like sunlight. Yet it moved slightly, like a fire. He was reminded of some dreams that he'd been having repeatedly. Maybe she was reaching out to him. But there was something else about those dreams…

A wet slimy hand then touched his foot. Snatching his foot away, he wished he had the Transcriber there so he could fight back. That didn't work, but he did manage to bring his hand up and summon a wave of multicolored light to attack the unseen thing. That was Psywave, right? Whatever, it caused a shriek as the thing scuttled off. And maybe other things too, as he heard several sources of noise around him. He ran along the trail toward the light.

Although it felt like something was trying to hold him back, Polaris got to Desolaire. She was in her tassel form, with her golden orb emitting a weak light and her tassel threads were moving slightly. Her spirit was alive, but in some dark and damp dream world. Feeling winded, he bowed. "Master Desolaire, I've come."

She didn't respond.

"Desolaire?" He came closer and almost touched her.

She moved aside before he did. "Huh? Oh, it's you, from the bell tower."

"Right," he said, smiling. "Everyone's waiting on you to come back. Lunarium, the others of your Spirit Clan, and the Arkahns."

"They are awake, then?" she asked. She was speaking quietly, and it felt like her attention wasn't fully there.

"Yes, and the hibernation spell was broken. They're just waiting on you; your sister is particularly concerned."

"Um… well I'm glad they're free now. But…" she ruffled her threads. "Quiet," she whispered.

"What?"

Then a spiteful presence came to them. The darkness around them seemed to move and Desolaire shuddered. Taigen formed out of it, now looking as inhuman as Polaris had imagined him being. His face was stretched out tall so that his head formed a thin cylinder, and his hair gathered up into points like thorns. The rest of his body was similarly long, thin, and pointed. "You're alert again," he said in a slithering kind of voice. "Are you going to accept me as your superior at last?"

Desolaire tried to shut them both out again. To himself, Polaris wished that he had continued learning about spirits from his father. Then he might know what to actually do here. Taigen's ghost was not going to leave her alone.

Then the ghost noticed him. He grinned sharply, in a way that seemed as if it should have split his head in half. "Oh, you have a guest. Your apprentice, even." Taigen slid over to behind Polaris and put his hands on his shoulders. His skin felt like those strange creatures in the darkness. "Not that she deserves that kind of attention. She's not quite as wonderful as you think; you must feel cheated."

"I've barely spoken with her," he replied. But Taigen had died nearly three hundred years ago, he thought. And if he didn't do something about this ghost, she might not come back. If there was some way to get him away from her…

"If you did, then you would realize that I am greater than her," Taigen claimed. "She is worthless as a goddess, but she is my greatest treasure."

Maybe the trick was to lure Taigen after him, not Desolaire. Polaris really did not like that plan. He didn't want to get into another ghostly mess like he had with Lurker. But it was important to so many more that he get Desolaire to leave this realm, wherever it was. And this kind of person generally didn't like defiance. "You're the one who is worthless," he replied. "Few people remember you, but hundreds of thousands of people remember Desolaire and want her return. You're just a greedy thief and she is a goddess loved by many."

"Is that the problem?" he asked with a growling undertone. But when he came around to face Polaris, he was still grinning. "That no one knows me or respects my power? I can change that. I can make people fear and respect me."

"That isn't the same thing," he challenged.

Taigen laughed. "Oh, listen to those naive words of yours." At that, Polaris then felt that feeling of alarm as another mind tried to probe his own. This time, he did his best to shut him out. "A terrible master makes for a terrible apprentice." Then he dug his sharp fingers into Polaris' shoulders; it felt like claws piercing through his skin. "But I will break you down and show you what I can do. I will…"

He was doing that in order to keep a link to him, Polaris guessed. So he took one of Taigen's hands and grabbed hold of it with one of his. "You will link to me?" he asked. "I will pin you to me."

"What?" Taigen panicked briefly; Polaris could feel that, so he knew that he had the ghost. "You, you wanted this? Your heart is not that twisted." He tried to yank his hand away, but something snapped; one of his fingers now appeared shorter than the rest.

"You can't get away from me now," he stated. "And I am going to take you away from her." He just had to wake up and Taigen's soul would be dragged back to Graystone City with him.

The ghost frowned now, glaring at him. "You will regret this; I am going to make your life a living hell now."

Possibly. But the dream ended, and he wouldn't undo it.

...

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key search: Desolaire

**Desolaire**

Legendary Pokemon of the Sun

Type: Fire/Psychic

Ability: Sunlit (regenerates health in active form) and Pressure (in passive form)

Notes: Desolaire with one of the Sky Twins, the two goddesses that lead the Arkahna Spirit Clan and its people. In religious symbols, Desolaire's sign is given at the top of a circle, flanked by Hu-kyo and Santiperra's symbols. Like her twin sister Lunarium, Desolaire has two forms, depending on the position of the sun. At night, she appears as an ornate tassel. At day, she appears something like a modern art sculpture of a woman in a red dress, with a long ponytail.

To the public eye, Desolaire would seem to be the most important of the Spirit Clan, for many more people worship her exclusively. She was also quite active among humans in the height of Arkahna culture, a cheerful and loving figure who would help anyone who needed it. Stories say that she has a voice like a protective fire, someone you were always glad to hear from. Even if the oldest records say so, many of her followers won't believe that she was the one who had the idea to hibernate away from the mortal world.


	27. Homebound

July 1st, year 59

Graystone city

"Polaris, are you awake?"

'Don't wake up. It's not worth your while.'

Polaris woke up, ignoring Taigen's ghost again. But it was a sharp awakening, as it was a woman's voice that called him. Was he in the Pokecenter? Then what was she…? He sat up and noticed Megan sitting on the other bed, brushing her hair. Oh, right, she had stayed with him last night. Once she had heard about what had happened, she said that she didn't want him left alone with a cruel voice constantly talking to him.

"Oh, good morning," he said. He rubbed his forehead. "Sorry."

She chuckled. "Good morning. I wasn't sure if you were up or not. We've got that appointment with the lawyer, remember?"

"Right, right…" he glanced at the clock. There was still plenty of time, but he might want to get moving at least, to wake up quicker.

A couple of hours later, they arrived at the lawyer's office. Essen was there too, to help with the preparation for the next court appearance. When Polaris had needed to go to the hospital after collapsing at the Taigen hideout, Mr. Jacobs had tried to accuse him of stealing Desolaire even though he had been unconscious when he had left. He tried to keep it quiet, but saw it as important enough that he was supposed to show up himself in court. But the police had refused to arrest Polaris, even when he told them that Lunarium had taken her sister away. And they had contacted the PCP, who was quick to make this case public. They didn't release all the information, like Polaris' status as a possible prophet. But they had released enough information that the public agreed that Mr. Jacobs didn't hold any claim over Desolaire.

"Once we clear this stealing suit, I've already got a countersuit prepared," the lawyer said. "I'm still sticking to the line that since Mr. Jacobs knew it was all stolen property, it ought to go back to the Arkahna church and government. Provided that his lawyers don't stall again, it's a solid case. For us."

Essen nodded. "Good, and thank you for your efforts. I'll try to be around for those cases, although this place is still rather foreign to me."

"You're doing well at this stage," the lawyer said. "Especially since you backed off on your position on outsiders recently. Are you going to be able to stand through both cases, Mr. Starr?"

He nodded. "I'll stick around as long as I can."

'And delay what you need to be doing,' Taigen sniped at him.

"Although, if I could get out of the second case, that would be better," he said. "I have things to take care of out of the region."

"Out of the region?" Essen asked him, surprised.

"Yes, it's about Taigen."

After the meeting with the lawyer, Essen left the building with Polaris and Megan. "I feel so out of place in these cities," the ex-prophet murmured.

"It's more like these cities are out of place for the Jasper region," Megan pointed out. "I like St. Rosaline better."

"True," Essen said, nodding. "Polaris, I was thinking… we do have some experts on wandering souls like Taigen. They could help in banishing him."

"I'm sure you do," he replied. "But, it's more than that. I'm going back to see my family. My father deals in all kinds of lost souls, and he was one of only three priests in the Church of Rayquaza when that religion was dying, before it got revived with the reappearance of the sky dragon. There's a lot of things I want to talk with him about."

"I see," Essen said as they walked out of the elevator. "I can see how that would be valuable then. And, one of the things I can be sure about is that family is a valuable treasure, one that we ought not lose."

Megan pulled his hand closer. "Hey, I can come with you to Hoenn, right?"

Hearing that, he felt simultaneously pleased and worried. "Are you sure you'd want to leave your diner for so long?" he asked.

"Oh, they'll be fine without me for a while," she said. "But I'm still going to stick by you when you've got that ghost with you. Somebody's got to keep you busy so you can ignore him better."

That made Essen laugh. "Oh yes, and having your girlfriend along would be a great distraction from him."

Polaris laughed along, albeit a bit embarrassed. "Well I wouldn't argue with that. Sure, I'd love to have you along. And my family should be okay with it."

* * *

July 15th

The longer that Taigen spent with Polaris, the more he found out about his emotional pressure points, the things he was most sensitive about. That just made the legal matters seem to drag more than they must have been. The lawsuit against him had ended two days ago, finding no fault in him for the disappearance of Desolaire; he may have distracted Mr. Jacobs enough to let Lunarium come get her and leave, but it had not been by his choice.

In a few days, the lawsuit of the Arkahna people against the Taigen Denkrill museum would start. Polaris was sticking around to see if it would really get started. He hoped it would. In the meantime, something interesting had come up with the Trainer Fan Club again. They had a special visitor coming in: Irma Cardon, the Poison Gym Leader.

"You've already beaten her, though," Megan pointed out, entering the club's building with him. "So why come visit?"

"I have an idea," he said. "I'm not sure if it's a good one, but I want to give it a try. I just hope this visit isn't too busy for her."

It didn't seem so. There was a group sitting in a group of couches where she was. But it wasn't nearly the crowd that had been here for the anniversary party. Irma acknowledged him when they arrived by smiling and waving, but was soon back to talking with the others who had gathered to ask questions and listen to her stories.

"I have to keep around twenty Pokemon, all trained for various levels of challenge," she said at one point. "But all Pokemon will naturally grow stronger, so a leader has to constantly adjust teams so the right level of challenge is there, and bring in new Pokemon to cover the lowest level challenges. So if you hope to be a Gym Leader, you had best learn the ins and outs of training Pokemon very well."

"Do the Pokemon ever get too powerful for the Gym challenges?" Megan asked. "What do you do with them then?"

"It happens," Irma replied, "especially with some quick growing Pokemon. We are allowed to keep around one Master rank team, to battle the very best of Pokemon Trainers, whether peers, the Elites, or roaming Champions. As for the others, there is a retirement program for Gym Pokemon. It requires a one year down-training period with an approved foster Trainer, who gets them adjusted to life without constant battles. They're then sent into the adoption programs, although they're always careful about who takes in a retired Gym Pokemon. They usually have special needs, like different mindsets and possible health problems."

As the scheduled time drew to a close, other people began to leave or drift off to other activities. Polaris approached Irma then, before she decided to leave. "Excuse me, Irma, but I have a request to make of you."

She smiled at him. "Oh yes, Polaris, good to see you again. What do you have in mind?"

"Well first of all, do you know about the Arkahna tradition of Pokemon and human apprenticeships?" When she nodded, he went on. "It's a long story, but I've attracted this ghost who is an Arkahna man who was trained by the Pratter family, including a Cricarsh. I'm working towards getting him banished from this world, but for now, I'm just curious: could I speak with your Cricarsh and see if it would speak with the ghost? I have a feeling it could end up helping me."

"Hmm…" she leaned back in the couch, thinking it through seriously. "They should be able to communicate with true ghosts. I'm not sure how well the one I have on me would cooperate with this plan. Then again, there might be a way. Are you willing to deal with one if it isn't cooperative?"

He nodded. "I know that would be tough, but I want to try this while I can."

"Very well then." She looked around, then pulled a Pokeball from a bracelet holder. After reverting it to normal size, she released the Pokemon inside. "This is Logan... Logan, this is Polaris, a Trainer who's earned our badge. He would like your assistance."

The frowning vine Pokemon looked to him, quite coldly. "Perhaps," he said.

Polaris put his hand up to his shoulder, where he'd gotten connected. "I would like you to speak with this ghost, Taigen Denkrill. He trained under your kind three hundred years ago."

'And what exactly do you think this foolishness is supposed to accomplish?" Taigen said, as a whisper into Polaris' ear.

However, Logan had managed to hear it. He ruffled his leaves, then slithered up onto the couch next to Polaris. "Oh, how curious. I have heard such tales from my wild-caught kin. Did not think it was very common for us, though."

'I am like your kin,' Taigen said. Poalris could feel his irritation and defiance at the Cricarsh's mental prods.

Still, he felt like jumping out of his skin when the Pokemon hissed. At Polaris' feet, Picasso snarled in his defense. "Logan," Irma said sharply.

The Cricarsh quieted to a low growl. "Pardon me, Irma," Logan said. "But you know that even I have my limits. You, you slimy cretin, have gone far beyond those limits. You should have known so much."

'Limits are restrictions. Restrictions that are unnecessary.'

"You do not pursue prey more than a day. You certainly do not pursue one who is already suffering emotionally to the point where it breaks. And you think that makes you great. It means that you are a hollow soul, corrupted from the inside. You will never find forgiveness."

'You are soft-hearted…'

"And you are soft-minded. You can't even bite back properly."

"What's going on?" Irma asked, watching her Cricarsh carefully.

"Logan and the ghost are having an argument," Polaris said as Taigen tried to insult the Cricarsh. "I'm sure you two can only hear his half."

Then Logan said something in a rattling kind of voice instead of English. Through his connection to Taigen, Polaris heard it as, "You smile too much. You are a failure at learning from my kind. And you know that you are a failure, but every effort you make to become better ends up digging you in deeper. You are very weak to be captured by this untrained psychic. You are worthless, Taigen Denkrill. And now you are cut off from the one who is the reason you still exist. That means that you will soon be lost to torments worse than ours, forever. You will never be a god for you do not deserve to be."

That affected the thief deeply. 'You can't… do that to me…"

"You've had over two weeks to break this one," Logan said, in English again. "And here I've broken you in a few minutes. Ponder that, miscreant."

Polaris bowed his head to the Pokemon. "Thank you, Logan. I'm sure that will help."

"Indeed," the Cricarsh said. He sniffed him and Polaris felt a prodding at his own mind. But it didn't last long. "How do you think I feel?"

"You?" Polaris tried to prod back. Logan was frowning, but then, his kind always was. "You're pleased with yourself."

He hissed and slithered off the couch. "That was easy for you. Practice that more; you need it. And since he's not listening right now, I may as well tell you that you don't have him fully captured. You convinced him that you did, though, and I convinced him a little more. Don't waste too much time in getting him banished from this world, or he may realize that too."

Was that so? He hadn't really known how to. "I see. It shouldn't be too much longer."

"Never waste time," Logan replied.

* * *

That evening, Polaris and Megan had gone on a walk outside of the city. It was a warm night. With clouds strewn across the dark sky. But that didn't seem to matter. Polaris tried to brush his hair back, but the wind had kicked up. "Mr. Jacobs did get me wondering about what I would be doing in the future."

'Dropped into a job you didn't ask for?' the ghost asked. 'Being depended on by so many; can you really handle that pressure?'

"Shut up," he said, then realized that he'd said it aloud. "Oh, sorry Megan, not you. Taigen."

She just laughed, though. "I figured, since I hadn't said anything. So what are you going to do, hmm?"

"Well I've got a job coming up, pretty much, with the Arkahna church, and as an apprentice to the sky twins. I still don't have a permanent home, but I think they could accommodate me for a while. I'm not sure how exactly I'd get paid, or even if I would be. It's all uncertain, but it is the right thing to do."

"Yeah. I guess it's like being in the service of the people and the gods. Well," she squeezed his hand. "You're always welcome to drop by my place and stay a few days if you need to. You might end up going all over this region to take care of things, but if you came by, I'd make sure you had some peace or the space you need to do your job."

Polaris looked to her. "Are you sure about that? I'd call, but…"

"It's fine," she replied. "I almost live in my diner sometimes as it is. Plus, that'd be incentive for you to come by more often."

He laughed at her teasing. "Okay, okay. It's good to know I have a place I'd be welcomed back to. Thank you." Then he heard something, a humming. "Hmm?" he looked up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I think this wind is touched by Zepharia," he said. "I hear a music like his."

In response, there was a strong strum that even she heard. There was soon the beat of wings and a jangle of bells as the crane landed on a nearby rock. "It is so," he said. "I had hoped not to disturb you both, but if I may have a brief time to speak."

He looked to Megan, who didn't seem bothered. "It's okay. What is it?"

"I have a request, but it's not of you." He tilted his head. "Rubledge, we have need of your assistance."

There was a brown flash from Polaris' leaf pendant, then Garnet appeared at her full size. He looked worried. "Do you? I have been protecting him."

"And you've done well, but there is the matter of the Jesefin devil," Zepharia replied. "We need to break the seal and destroy it, but as has been said, you must be there when we do so. We have called on some strong followers, so there should be enough power to take it down." He glanced over to Polaris. "Including Blair. I've heard from Lunarium that you two plan on going to Hoenn for a time. You'll be going without an escort guard, so you must be careful."

"Are you sure about this?" Rubledge asked. "I mean, about leaving him. I have been driving away demons that might have attacked him otherwise."

"Really?" Polaris asked. "You must have been doing a magnificent job of it."

She smiled. "Yes… that is part of why I didn't always communicate. It is tiring. But they do seek you, and through you, Desolaire. You may have pulled her biggest tormentor away, but if the others find her soul, she could be in trouble."

"Destroying their leader, who forms the core of their power, should greatly reduce their threat," Zepharia said. "And while it must be done, Polaris, you are still a student who hasn't had much instruction. If it could be delayed, we might do so to include you. But it would be more important to take this one out quickly. It has been luring others to break the seal."

"I understand," Polaris said, although he was a bit relieved not to be involved in that power struggle. "I'll keep the protective charms I have, and try to be alert to any unusual people speaking to me. Garnet, I'm sure you can do this." He gripped her hand to show his support.

She put another pair of her hands to her chest. "I see. You have been doing well, even acting selflessly to help Desolaire. I should be learning from your example then." She nodded to Zepharia. "Yes, I'll come help in Jesefin. I left it out of fear partly… it's about time that I got back to take care of things."

"Good," the crane said. "We can leave tonight if that works for you."

"Right." She turned to Polaris. "I'm glad to have worked with you, Polaris. I really thought that after I got my forgiveness, that I'd go into the wilderness and hide. But, maybe there's still things I can do."

"I'm sure there are," he said. "Thank you for your protection and guidance. You even saved me from Lurker. I think you can still be a good goddess who is loved by the people and Pokemon too."

"I'll try," she said. "Good bye for now, and good luck in Hoenn."

After the goodbyes, Rubledge reverted to her smaller form and went up to Zepharia, taking hold of his neck. He took off, then, causing the winds to gust and help him soar away. With his parting, the winds calmed down.

"I hope the people helping them in Jesefin can be safe," Megan said.

"Right." He took her hand again and smiled. "So what plans do you have for the future?"

"There's this and that," she said, happy to some thought. "Oh, I got a really nice review from one of the web foodie critics. But then he had to point out that my place didn't really have a name; my business license still holds the last name of the place, Fish Follies."

"Fish Follies?" Polaris asked, surprised. "That's nothing like your diner."

"Right." She laughed. "But he came up with a great name, though. The Ariados Cafe."

"That is fitting. What does Greeble think of it?"

"He's happy with anything. I think I might stick to that name."

He nodded. "Right. Although, I always just thought of it as Megan's Diner. That's a good name."

"Yes, but I like my Pokemon too much not to name my place after him."

"Well there's no argument for that."

And their evening walk went on, giving such warmth and happiness that no ghost could really break through it.

* * *

July 18th

When Polaris had left Hoenn, it had been aboard a cargo ship that had taken a handful of passengers for the extra income. It had been a long and rough trip at night. On his trip back, Megan had acquired tickets for a faster vessel, the passenger ship S.S. Azure. They were leaving in the pre-dawn hours from St. Rosaline, but they would arrive in Lilycove around noon. He and Megan decided to just relax for the trip with their Pokemon.

Of course, that meant getting permission to release the fifteen-foot long Icewin in the front viewing deck. "We're okay with that," the sailor had said. "But if you get into a battle, please stick with your smaller ones so we don't have any problems."

Icewin seemed okay with that and lounged so that he could look out the windows at the ocean flying by. Despite not actually being in the ocean, Varia the Scyllamone was delighted with the boat, eventually getting Greeble and Picasso to dance with her. Tesla stayed near the bench Polaris and Megan were sitting on, curled up on the floor and not looking too comfortable. He asked if she wanted to stay in her Pokeball, but she shook her head.

"Did you get your parents' current address?" Megan asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, they're just south of Lilycove itself. I thought about calling them, but I don't know. They might think I was making it up. Given the way I left, they might even think I was dead. I'd rather prove myself by being there in person."

"That could be. It's going to be a shock at any rate." She smiled and brushed aside some of her blue hair. "A good one, of course."

A young man came into the front deck, wearing a red jacket and cap. He looked over the Pokemon with a critical eye, then at them. "Are you two going to challenge me?"

Polaris glanced at Megan, who looked back, then shrugged. "I don't think so," she told him. "I only own one of these; my Ariados is a dear, but he's getting on in age and shouldn't be battling."

"And I don't want to be disrupting the crew with my group," he added. "But don't let them bother you. That goes especially for you, Varia; no flirting."

She twitched her anemone tentacles and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to act like she hadn't just been considering that. But she had been looking curiously at the newcomer.

He nodded and came over, tipping his hat. "Fine. I'm a traveler; call me Robert. I'm guessing, sir, based on your Pokemon, that you participate in the Jasper League."

"Actually, I do," Polaris replied. "I'm Polaris, and this is my girlfriend Megan. How could you tell?"

Robert sat in a bench across from them. "That's the region all of them would have in common as a potential homeland, plus we just stopped there. Forgive me for intruding, but I'm a field researcher for the Pokedex project. Has anyone scanned your Pokemon for the project?"

"Yes, I know a researcher like you and I've been helping Professor Arboreal, especially with my Glasyrm over there." Icewin glanced over at them, but was soon looking outside again. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I've considered going to Jasper to help as it's one of our regions with a high percentage of unknown data. How are the locals about helping travelers and allowing access to areas?"

Polaris thought that over. "They're getting better," he said uncertainly. "The actual native people are the Arkahns, and they're slowly opening up. The areas you don't have much data on are probably their lands. But there is a large immigrant population like us who know more about the usual traditions."

For the rest of the trip, they spoke with Robert about the Sea of Jasper, like the Pokemon there or the League itself. Polaris tried reading him and from that, suspected that Robert was more important that he made himself out to be. Perhaps he was one of the roaming Champions who were talented enough Pokemon training and battles to defeat multiple Leagues. He didn't want to prod too much, but if that were true, then he was quietly glad that Robert hadn't insisted on a battle.

* * *

July 18

Lilycove, Hoenn

Due to the lengthy trip and a change in time zones, they had left St. Rosaline early in the morning, but had arrived in late morning when they were used to it being mid-afternoon. There had been a small lunch on the ship, but they were feeling hungry again. "We could get something more to eat," Polaris said. "What do you want?"

They had returned most of their Pokemon, but Picasso and Greeble stayed out with them. The Ariados stayed close while the Smeargle got interested in a painted buoy.

"Oh, anything local," she replied. "What do you want after years of being gone?"

"A bunch of things come to mind," he said, looking around at the old landscape.

Some of it had changed in ten years, like how many of the homes seemed to have shifted to other areas. But other things hadn't. There was the Department Store in the highest part of the city, towering over everything but the lighthouse, down at the tip of the outcropping to the south. The signs still advertised the Master's Contest Hall, the Art Museum, and particular shops. And the beaches were still there, clean despite the number of people enjoying the warm weather.

On looking over the crowd, he brightened. "Oh, I know. See that woman over there with the blue and red umbrella on her cart?"

Megan looked at the beach crowd until she saw it. "Yeah? What about her?"

He led her down to the beach. "She's been making roasted crabs here for years and selling them on the beach. Crabs, not Krabbies. And she's the best at them, so you've got to try it."

Smiling, she followed along. "Sure. Come on, Picasso!"

"Sho!" He scampered after them.

They ended up talking to the crab lady for the next half hour, as she was a friendly old woman who didn't mind exchanging cooking tips with Megan. "Though the most important thing is to remember the gods who protect you and the food that is grown," she said. "I always give thanks to Lady Kyogre every morning and make sure I do nothing that would offend her."

The traditional Hoenn beliefs were different in a few ways, Polaris found himself thinking. But there were similarities too. He wondered if he could use that to help the Arkahn people.

Taigen had been offering occasional dark comments of his own, but not as viciously as before. 'Right, laze around eating crabs and neglect your duties back in Jasper. You're just running away again.'

While it didn't really bother him now, it did remind him that they should get going (although the crabs were just as good as he remembered). They said goodbye to the old woman, then headed up the stairs in the cliff to the major part of Lilycove. It wasn't quite noon here, so there weren't as many pedestrians around. Every place they looked into seemed busy though, whether it was the Contest Hall or Polaris' old school or the homes. And every place brought back memories, making him feel welcomed back. He was pretty sure that if Lurker had still been with him, it wouldn't have felt like this.

They located the street his parents lived on and followed it out of town. The buildings quickly grew less packed, leaving homes with small plots of nature for company. Eventually, they came to the place, a small brick house with a reddish-brown roof. There was a covered porch going around two sides of the house, decorated with many windchimes. A windsock depicting Rayquaza fluttered off a pole near the entrance. While the house wasn't the same, he remembered several of those decorations from years ago.

Over in the side yard, there was a woman with orange hair who was hanging out laundry to dry. A Mightyena was snoozing nearby. Polaris felt a moment of nervousness, but also relief at seeing her again. He and Megan walked over there until Helena turned to look at them. She looked puzzled a moment, but smiled to them. "Hello folks. May I help you?"

Polaris smiled and let go of Megan's hand to go up to her. "Hi, Mom. It's me, Polaris."

For a moment, she seemed conflicted about wanting to believe that and not being sure if she could. "Polaris?" She came over and put her hand on his shoulder. "It's really you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry it took me so long to get back home. There were forces working against me."

"But you're alive." She hugged him. "That's wonderful; I thought we'd never see you again."

"I'm glad to be back," he said, hugging her too. After a moment, he pulled away. "I hope it's not too much trouble, but she's with me. Mom, this is my girlfriend, Megan Briscote. Megan, this would be my mother Helena. That's her Pokemon Greeble there and…" he glanced around and spotted his Smeargle sniffing in the laundry basket. "And that little troublemaker is one of mine, Picasso." He snapped his fingers to try to get Picasso to come back over to him.

The two women shook hands. "Well you're welcome here too, you and your Pokemon," Helena said. "Oh, but it's going to be hard to wake your father, even with you back. You know how he is, working all night with the ghosts. We can visit outside until it's a more reasonable hour for him."

"Right, that's fine."

At first, they weren't sure what to talk about, since they wanted to wait on his father before explaining why he left and came back. But Polaris knew that his mother liked to cook too, so before long, they were all talking like old friends. Several hours later, Helena went inside. When she came back out with Jeremiah, he looked like he had only woken up a few minutes ago, being dressed but with his red hair out of place.

Polaris got up and went to hug him. "Hi Dad. It's good to see you again."

The old priest smiled with awe and wonder, although he was also crying some. "It's like Rayquaza said… welcome back, son."


	28. Training Each Other

July 18, year 59

The other family member that Polaris met with that day was his younger brother Gabriel. He was taller than Polaris now, with orange-red hair more like their father's. Late at night, they had met with Gabe on their way to the local church. After a warm greeting, the three of them continuing walking along the road. "I'm working with Dad now, learning about the spirits and the gods from him," Gabe said. "Clari is still doing Contest work, but Celeste has become a full-fledged psychic. She works in the Psychic Gym now, of course."

"That's great," Polaris said. Maybe having a reach into the supernatural was something normal for his family. He hadn't thought on that much before, beyond his father's skill.

Gabriel gave him a glance, at which Polaris felt one of those mental proddings. "But, uh, I thought you had cut off Lurker. That's what the sky dragon told Dad."

"Lurker is gone now," their father said. "This is another ghost that's hanging onto him, but it also seems potent. That's why I called you in for assistance."

"I see," Gabe said, thoughtful. "So who and what is this ghost?"

"That's a lot of information to cover," Polaris said. "But I only got around to telling part of it so far. See, I've been living at the Sea of Jasper all these years. The native culture there centers on the Arkahna religion, which has six gods and goddesses known as the Spirit Clan; they allies with Rayquaza, as one of his towers lies in that region. Roughly a thousand years ago, the Arkahn people had splintered and were fighting, which angered the Spirit Clan. They sealed themselves away in sleep and have been in hibernation since. Some people have tried to awaken them, but have not managed to get all six awake to break the sleep fully. One of the troubles was that the sun goddess Desolaire was depressed over what had happened.

"Back to more recent times, about a year and a half ago, Sienna died. You remember my Sudowoodo, right?"

Gabe and Jeremiah nodded. "Right, she was one of the family too," Gabe said.

"Yeah, and that hit me hard, of course." He fingered the leaf pendant he had made. "Lurker tried to drag me down again through that, but then I happened upon this artifact of the Arkahna spirits." He brought out the white tablet, which was in its own pocket of his bag as usual. "If you know the symbols, you can call on the spells that Pokemon use through the Transcriber; you can also summon spirits if you can draw them. I used it to call Sienna's ghost and was able to properly say goodbye to her. Since this is a blessing from them, I agreed to make an attempt to awaken the Spirit Clan, even though I didn't really know what I was doing at the time."

"That does seem to be a sacred artifact," Jeremiah said. "How have you done with summoning the clan?"

"Really well, actually. I got five of them awake and somehow managed to get the sleep agreement broken so they can stay awake. But, it's Desolaire again who won't wake up." He turned the Transcriber over, then showed them the sun symbol. "I've made enough contact with her to get the magic broken for the others, yes. But then I found out that around three hundred years ago, she was stolen by a thief named Taigen Denkrill. That's the ghost following me right now."

"So it's human?" Gabe asked. "It doesn't seem quite right, though."

"There's more to it, of course," Polaris said. "The Transcriber isn't the only way to mimic Pokemon abilities. The Arkahn people put a great deal of respect in Pokemon. As such, they will apprentice themselves to Pokemon, calling them the masters instead of trying to be a master over them. This way, they can use the powers and elements of their masters. Taigen apprenticed himself to a Cricarsh, which is a Poison and Psychic type that finds a person's insecurities and torments them through words. Taigen has had Desolaire captive with torture for those three centuries, even though he had provoked her enough that it ended up killing him.

"When I met with the two of them in a dream, it was only a couple of weeks ago. Because of that meeting, I knew that I'm not going to be able to awaken Desolaire unless I got rid of Taigen somehow. I didn't get far enough into studying such spirits with you, though, so I did the best I could, provoking Taigen into turning his attention to me, then making a connection to him. That way, when I woke up, he was forced into leaving Desolaire to follow me. That leaves me with a venomous psychic ghost trying to whisper torments to me, but it's better than leaving him with her. I've managed to fight back against him some, but I do need to get rid of him as soon as possible."

"So that's how it is," his father said. Then he patted Polaris on the shoulder. "This is unusual for me, but knowing that, I know how to handle it. This will be tougher than usual, Gabe, since this ghost depends on provoking and harming others through words. Both of you, do your best not to listen to him.

"Right," Gabe said. "Then have you joined this Arkahna religion?"

Polaris nodded. "Yes, in my heart anyhow. I'm sorry, but…"

"It's fine," Jeremiah said in a reassuring tone. "If they are allies with Lord Rayquaza, I see nothing wrong with it."

He smiled. That had worried him about coming back. "Thanks. Also, I do need to learn some things from you while I'm here. This is a sacred artifact, but it's also unique. It's to be used by the apprentice and prophet of Desolaire and her twin sister Lunarium. And the moon goddess has accepted me as that, which means that by default, I'm to be the leader of the Arkahna religion."

"Really?" Gabe asked, in disbelief.

"That's quite a responsibility," Jeremiah said, in a serious tone.

"I understand that. I didn't really know about that until recently either. But I haven't had much instruction yet, as Lunarium is busy and worried over her sister. See, Desolaire's soul is separated from her body, but she's not dead. Lunarium has her body right now, but we don't know where her soul is. I'd like to stay here for a while, but I do have to get back to find Desolaire and help her, and then try to help their people. They've been resisting change for a long time, so it's not going to be easy. I do have some help with several Arkahn, but I felt like you could help, at least with Desolaire."

His father nodded slowly and thought for a moment. "I'll do what I can. But first, we must deal with this Taigen. Gabe, we'll need the methods for banishing a bitter human ghost, but it will have to be adapted with those for the Psychic and Poison Pokemon poltergeists. And we'll want the strongest barrier we've got, given this one's age and potential power. Go get any items related to those ceremonies. I'll be there in a moment."

"All right, Dad." He hurried on ahead into the church.

"Polaris, you should be able to enter the sanctuary. I'll stay with you in case there's resistance. Otherwise, you'll be staying in there for the night."

He nodded, looking over the familiar old building. "Okay."

Even after ten years, it looked much like it did in his memory. The church was an old wooden building; perhaps a new coat of white paint had gone over it recently, to help protect it from the elements. There was a weather vane and a wind sock on the belfry, as well as stylized depictions of Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon above the double door entryway. On seeing it, he remembered a lot of things, like the old saying to never show favor to the land or to the sea above the other, or else the unbalance will cause great catastrophe.

He felt a sense of unease from Taigen as they entered the church. The sanctuary was the main room, a large open space with two rows of pews. Up front, there was a mural of the islands of Hoenn, and Rayquaza. Otherwise, there wasn't much decoration to the inside of the church. Jeremiah had him sit at the front of the room. "You had a Ghost Pokemon yourself, right?" he asked. "Call it out to keep an eye on things; I'll leave my Dusknoir in here too."

Polaris nodded. "Sounds good." He then pulled Lethe's Pokeball out of his holder and released the Katisp. "Would you act as a scout, to make sure no spirits enter while we're working?"

'Certainly,' she replied, examining the space around her. When the Dusknoir was release, she clenched her sword's handle tighter momentarily

"Make sure this space remains safe, Demi," Jeremiah said to his Pokemon. "And cooperate with this one… a Katisp, right?"

Polaris nodded. The Dusknoir Demi looked back at her, the antenna on top of his head spinning. Then he nodded. 'Very well. At peace, foreigner.'

'Likewise,' she replied, then drifted off to explore.

After his father left, Polaris sat in a chair to wait. He spent a moment calming himself and quieting his mind. When he did so, Taigen appeared in a faint form near him. He didn't seem as threatening now, as he didn't have that creepy grin on his face. Lethe and Demi noticed him immediately, and both came closer. This caused the thief to drift closer to him; Polaris could feel fear from the ghost.

'This isn't going to work,' Taigen said, turning to him. 'This is a place for different gods.'

"It will work," Polaris said.

Demi chuckled. 'Master Ray and his son Gabe have recently banished poltergeists from a Sinnoh church,' the Dusknoir said in a mildly taunting tone. 'You are on their grounds now; it won't be that hard.'

'Well it won't work out for you,' Taigen said. 'I know exactly where Desolaire is. She doesn't even know that. You don't know that. It would be much smarter for you to keep me along to find her.'

"I don't trust you with that," Polaris told him. "Besides, I am certain that she is underground, in a damp cave somewhere in the Jasper region. If I start exploring caves once I get back, it will just take time to locate which cave she is in."

'You don't have a lot of time to find her. In the silence, she will turn into a lost soul and be unrecoverable.'

"Well since it's a cave, I can safely rule out the majority of the actual Sea of Jasper, as there are only a few caves located in the sea waters. And I'm certain it's damp there, so that rules out most of the southern desert. I can ask Santiperra or the Arkahns about what's left, especially for any caves with strange phenomenon. I'm sure I can manage that without you."

'I hope that you don't find her,' Taigen hissed bitterly.

At that point, Jeremiah and Gabe had come into the sanctuary. The former started drawing a chalk diagram on the wooden floor, while the latter came over and handed a figurine of a Steel Pokemon. "Here, keep this to protect you," he said. "And I need to make some markings on your shoulder to help things move smoothly." Gabe tapped where Polaris had forced Taigen to connect to him.

"All right," he said. He felt odd and self-conscious in taking his shirt off. It was just his family and a few Pokemon about, but he still hadn't seen them in many years. But they might be trying to make certain that the ghost wouldn't bolt back to Desolaire.

Once the preparations were complete, Polaris stepped into the diagram. He felt a surge of various powers when he did so, like the power of Dark, Steel, Ground… they were calling on these powers to weaken Taigen, as if he were a violent Pokemon ghost. He felt restrained himself, as those types worked against his own too. But he would just have to endure it.

jeremiah then brought out another one of his ghosts, a Banette. He then had the three Pokemon and Gabe stand at four points outside the diagram, while he stepped into it. At this, Taigen tried to glower at him; Polaris could still feel his anxiety, and his father didn't seem intimidated.

"Taigen Denkrill, your time on Earth has long ago ended," Jeremiah stated sternly, looking the ghost in the eyes. He made a motion of waving his hand in front of his forehead. "You will not be able to read my soul within this circle."

'Are you certain of that?' Taigen countered, but it seemed even he knew that was a weak argument.

"It is time for you to leave permanently," Jeremiah went on. "Under the authority of Rayquaza, I ask for the presence of the Master of the Spirit World, Giratina. Untie the bonds that keep this soul, Taigen Denkrill, drifting in this world. Then take him into your realm, Master Giratina, to face judgment and be dealt with as he has dealt with the world." He then put his hand on Polaris' shoulder. "Polaris, do not panic and do not leave the circle," he said in a gentler but still firm voice.

Hearing that, he was able to keep calm. This was despite the fact that he could sense a connection to the spirit world that was holding strong right near him. Taigen panicked upon feeling the presence of Giratina's servants; these ghostly creatures were searching for him, reaching out to him. Trying to get away, the thief bolted. Polaris took hold of his shoulder, feeling the bit of Taigen's spirit he still had. He attempted to grip it with his mind as the ghost crashed into the barrier at the edge of the diagram. Seeing no way out, Taigen turned to him, fear and anger burning in his eyes.

But the old priest was prepared. "Cut the connections between them before he lays a curse on him," Jeremiah ordered of the four outside the circle. The Dusknoir and Banette made quick slicing motions with their hands; the Katisp quickly imitated them using her katana. Gabe was whispering something into his hands, keeping his nerves as well.

A cold static feeling came over Polaris as one of the servants of Giratina made contact with him. Nodding, he imagined taking the piece of spirit he had and handing it off to the servant. In the meantime, the other servant spirits had gotten a hold of Taigen and were dragging him out of the world.

Without warning, something clashed against the diagram under Polaris' feet, causing an ethereal mass of sparks to shoot up. A foreign entity was trying to disrupt the banishing. His father quickly started praying aloud, asking for the sanctuary to be strengthened. But Polaris felt a jolt of disorientation.

It was like one of his more lucid dreams, he quickly noticed. He was in the old Lilycove church, but he was also far away in a grand room. Somehow, he knew it was the palace at Jesefin, the one with the demon's seal. And he could tell that they had broken that seal in their attempt to destroy that evil spirit for good. Rubledge was there, in her standing form with her swords and shields at ready.

Facing off against her was something of a cruel mockery of her. Instead of black skin with a ruby helm and weaponry, the demon was mostly blood red with cracked black gear. His rock skin was rough, something like pumice, and his eyes glowed orange. He clanged his blades together, looking at her in absolute hatred. Perhaps because he was there in spirit, Polaris could tell that the demon Rubledge was completely deranged with no chance of being recovered.

He could also see that the demon was trying to call Taigen into his service. The thief's ghost was bewildered, suffering from the touch of Giratina's servants. However, the servants were also confused. The Rubledge he knew as Garnet was watching the demon for his next move.

On impulse, Polaris called out to her. "Rubledge, he's distracted! Strike him now!"

She was briefly startled to hear from him, but quickly focused back on her foe. Somewhere nearby, the five awakened members of the Spirit Clan were aiding her, keeping the demon imprisoned in this room and weakened. Rubledge then struck as hard as she could, cutting into the demon with both of her swords. The demon was unable to defend himself against that and was knocked to the ground.

However, he was connected with Taigen, who was connected with Polaris. Both of them felt the pain of that attack, as well as the abrupt jerk when their spirits were snapped back into the Lilycove church. The force of it was enough to knock Polaris out of the circle and against the wall six feet away. It also gave Giratina's servants ample opportunity to get a hold of Taigen's spirit again and drag him back to their world.

Jeremiah, Gabe, and Lethe were soon by Polaris. "What happened at the end there?" his father asked.

"A demon tried to claim his soul," he explained. "It didn't work out." He looked over and saw that the diagram was lightly smoking. Then he noticed that he was bleeding heavily from two crossing slashes across his chest.

His father nodded. "He's gone, but there's a change of plans: you're going to the hospital."

* * *

July 20

The hospital had stitched his wounds closed, but his chest was still bandaged up to keep them protected. He wasn't supposed to do any hard work now, which meant that he had to put off training for the time being. Then again, he was glad for the chance to relax, especially when his parents got his whole family together to celebrate his return.

His whole family. His mother's parents were the caretakers of the shrine on top of Mount Pyre, but they had gotten another priestess to watch over the site for the day in their place. his father's parents came all the way out from Lavaridge by borrowing a pair of Altarias from friends. His older sisters were married; they had brought their husbands with them, along with their children. Clarissa and Celeste each had a daughter; his nieces were quite happy to play with Polaris' Pokemon, especially in finger-painting with Picasso.

It was an amazing day, filled with stories about the rest of his family along with his own. And it was so good to be back.

In the afternoon, he got a call that had come all the way from Jasper. It had surprised him when it turned out to be Camilla. Feeling that it had to be important, he excused himself to step outside to talk with her.

"I was asked to call as the others are still uncertain about technology," she explained. "I think we can talk them into accepting phones easily, but that's for later."

"Right. What's going on?"

"The goddess Rubledge has successfully defeated the demon that was sealed into Jesefin Palace. But Zepharia informed us that she seems to have heard your voice during the battle and was worried that you had been injured somehow in it. Are you all right?"

"I've got two deep slashes across my chest, but I'm okay otherwise," he said, lightly patting the edge of the bandages. "The demon had connected to Taigen, who was connected to me; it probably would have been worse if I had been directly connected."

"Certainly."

"It may have been something of a divine intervention too," he realized. "The reason the demon got distracted was because he wanted Taigen's soul and his connection to Desolaire. And my father, my brother, and I had been involved in banishing him from this world. The fact that the two banishments were occurring at the same time is an unlikely coincidence; maybe the other Pokemon gods are interested in assisting the Spirit Clan."

"I see. That is a blessing, then."

"Yeah. How is Rubledge doing?"

"As far as I know, she's gone into the wilderness for some self-reflection. It has been strange that this old enemy of our people has come to assist us now. But we can see that she's changed for the better. Now, what are your plans on finding Desolaire's soul?"

Polaris leaned against a tree, thinking. "Well my father has agreed to train me again in locating lost souls. That will take about a month, so I should get back to Jasper in September. Although, could I ask the Sun Knights to do a favor for me?"

"We're here to assist and protect you. What do you need?"

"Based off visions that I've seen in my dreams and certain experiences, I am certain that her soul is somewhere in a cave. It's damp and mostly dark, but her soul would emit weakened daylight which would be noticeable. But I'm not sure how many cave systems there are in Jasper, and the one that I know would fit, Moonflower Caverns, is immensely long. Could you all check out the caves to see if there's any strange phenomenon going on? I'm sure that her presence would cause something to change about the environment of a cave."

"Certainly, we'll look into that."

"Thank you."

* * *

August 19

On learning that Polaris did have a sense for detecting others, Jeremiah had decided that the best way to train him quickly was to focus on that. Bringing that sense to his conscious mind would allow him to feel a presence further out, and to pick out weaker auras even from behind a strong one. This training went several ways. Some nights, Polaris went out with his father and brother to Mount Pyre, to distinguish between spiritual ghosts and Ghost Pokemon. Some days, he was told to go into Lilycove, to crowded places like the Department store, where he would do things like count the people around him with his eyes closed and pick out travelers from the locals. He found it hard to notice progress until he managed to detect a lost child at a packed show at the Contest Hall without being told that the boy was missing. Two months ago, he wouldn't have noticed the boy even with his artistic attention to detail.

There were times when Jeremiah had other things to do, so Polaris would hang out with Megan and his mother, train with Gabe, or train his Pokemon. The port was fairly busy with Trainers traveling around for the Hoenn League, so it usually wasn't hard to find some battles. Sometimes, he felt as though he had an advantage in that he knew the local Pokemon while the local Trainers did not know what some of his Pokemon even were. Then again, he often got a surprise when those Trainers made good judgments based on the Pokemon's looks.

One evening, he and Gabe decided to head out for Mount Pyre as their father had been called away to another town. The ferry wasn't running when they arrived at the lake, so Polaris brought out Icewin to carry them over instead. While they were crossing over the waters, he got an odd feeling about his younger brother. It wasn't the same feel as his usual detection skills, so maybe it was his empathy instead.

He glanced over his shoulder at him. "I hope you don't mind me asking, Gabe, but… are you jealous of me?"

He tensed. "Huh?"

"It just seems that way."

He bit his lip, then said, "I guess I am. I didn't think much of it, but after hearing and seeing what you can do, it didn't seem right. I've spent the last nine years learning about spirits, ghosts, and the gods from dad, while you ignored it for so long. But then you've picked up on it so fast, and the other things you can do, like hearing the words of the gods and all that you can do with that Transcriber… I probably shouldn't feel jealous, but that's way more than I can do."

That made sense; Polaris figured that he would feel the same way if some new artist came up with the same level of skill that he had. "I see. Well if it helps any, your way of learning is far safer. You've had Dad watching out for you this whole time, and if anything went wrong, it could be fixed. I was, well, basically forced to sink or swim in spiritual matters, as there's been several times in this past year when a mistake could have killed me. Or worse, turned me into a tormented lost soul, or even being consumed by a demon. You have to learn quickly then."

"Hmm." Gabe smiled some. "It would be that way."

He smiled back. "Besides, I don't think the level of power you have matters. It's what you do with the power and talents you have that makes the difference. I mean, Taigen could see a person's vulnerabilities naturally. With that kind of power, he could have helped people overcome their weaknesses. Instead, he decided to torment others."

"That's true." It seemed to have helped some, although it might be something that Gabriel had to deal with on his own. Polaris would have to make sure to not give him any reason to dislike him, then.

"And you don't get tracked by demonic forces," Polaris pointed out. Even if the major force of Rubledge's demon had been taken care of, he had nearly been attacked four times since leaving Jasper. His family members knew how to deflect the demons' interest, which he was attempting to learn to do. "I'm a bit jealous of that."

Gabe chuckled. "I suppose that is an advantage."

* * *

September 2

It was drizzling that afternoon, but Megan, Polaris, and his parents were still out on the docks. A passenger ship that would get to St. Rosaline later that day was sitting on the water, waiting. "We'll need to keep in contact through email, so I can keep sending you lessons on the spirits," Jeremiah said. "But your Pokemon masters may be ready for you soon, so who knows how much longer it will go."

"But you can always send a message just because," Helena said, hugging him.

"Of course," Polaris said. His eyes were moist, but he smiled for them and hugged his father too.

"And that goes for you too, Megan," Helena said, adding a hug for her. "It's been wonderful having you over."

"Thanks," she replied. "I'll be happy to keep in touch."

"Kusa." Polaris felt a furry paw patting at the hand he had over his bag. Picasso was looking at him expectantly.

"Oh, right." He pulled out a piece of paper with a green drawing on it. If he looked at it one way, it might have been seen as a picture of Rayquaza. But it might not be that. "Picasso insists that you have this. He painted it last night."

"Aw, thank you, little Picasso," Helena said, taking the picture to look at it, then patting the Smeargle on his fur beret. "It must be a sign that you like us."

"To cha!" He then hugged her, making them laugh.

A whistle came from the ship. "We'd better not hold you back too much longer," Jeremiah said. "Keep your faith in your gods, and yourself. If we get a chance, we might see about coming to visit Jasper someday."

Polaris chuckled. "Maybe when I have a place to settle into. I'll be happy to welcome you then. Right now I'm still traveling and learning. I love you both; I'll always keep you in my heart."

"The same to you," Helena said.


	29. Ann, the Cheerful Medium

September 6th, year 59

The southernmost Gym in the region was the one at Zeitgeist. It was at the eastmost edge of the Amarillo Desert, near a large salty lake which bore the same name as the town. For centuries, the Arkahn people had made a living here. They filtered the water so that it was safe to drink, then extracted useful salts for trading. Recently, there had been an offer to put in a modern desalination plant to make the process more efficient. It hadn't gone through yet.

Although it was so close to the desert, the air was humid here. The lake fogged over regularly and the rainfall in Zeitgeist was five times what it was just a mile to the west. And just north of town, there was an old ruins. Recalling other Arkahna structures, Polaris guessed that this was once a temple. But why had it fallen and why hadn't they repaired it? He spotted a team of archeologists looking over a part of the crumbling walls, all outsiders. That was an encouraging sign.

As he walked through the ruins towards the town, Polaris noticed that this place had an aura like Mount Pyre. Picasso was wandering about as usual, but there were a few times when he bolted back to him. Wondering, he opened up his computer and asked the Pokedex feature what Pokemon were common around here. From the answer he got (Gastly, Misdreavus, Pyrigmy, Duskull, Shuppet), it was obvious that this was a Ghost Pokemon favored environment. That would be why the Ghost Gym Leader settled down here, he thought.

But this morning, the ruins were quiet. He headed into town, for the Gym itself. This could be another distraction from his search for Desolaire. Or, it might be the key to finding her.

After he and Megan had returned to St. Rosaline, Polaris had met with Blaire and Camilla to discuss the region's caves. The Sun Knights had come up with some promising leads. Perhaps troubling ones, like parts of the Moonflower Caverns that would require days underground to reach. But then Camilla reminded him that Horizon Island, the place where the League Championship trials and battles took place, had its own cave system. Not only that, but several challengers had reported encountering a ghostly presence there which did not behave as a Ghost Pokemon did.

The problem was, the Pokemon League owned the island and its caves. Polaris would not be allowed to enter the caves until he had all eight badges. Even then, he'd have to wait for early November to be allowed inside. That meant conquering this final Gym. Fortunately, he had spent much of August around the ghosts of Mount Pyre. It would be better to challenge Zeitgeist Gym while that was still fresh in his mind. In the meantime, Camilla said that she would look into the Horizon caves further.

The Gym was a great clay brick building that had been remodeled for the current resident, the Ghost Leader Ann Hallows. The strong façade left a strong impression of an unshakeable soul. Dealing with the Ghost Pokemon every day, maybe she needed that. Unlike the Dragon Gym, this one was more open and welcoming, with large windows and unassuming doors.

Polaris felt nervous as he walked up to the building with Picasso. "Well, this is it, the last Gym. I didn't think I'd get this far."

"Kooo," Picasso said, clasping his hand tighter. The Smeargle smiled.

Smiling back, he patted his Pokemon's hand. "You guys have been great, though. Let's go for it." As they went up the stairs, he noticed his left shoe making little 'tack' noises. Was there a pebble caught in the tread? Probably.

Inside, they went through the usual procedure of having everything checked out. A cool misty breeze blew in from the interior. "There's a camera crew in today," the receptionist mentioned. "They shouldn't be intrusive."

"Okay." He looked around. "Seems quiet today. Last time I ran into a crew like that, the Gym was busy."

She shrugged. "Well the kids would all be in school now, or taking their exemption tests. We didn't even know the crew would be here until this morning. I guess word hasn't gotten around yet."

"I see. It must be a hassle."

"Sometimes. Good luck on your challenge, Mr. Starr."

"Thanks." After recalling Picasso, he entered the Gym proper.

An unseen barrier started shortly after the reception area. Only an electric hum let Polaris know it was there. Instead of a single door, there was an air chamber, a set of two doors with a six foot space in between them, sealed tight. The reason for this was made clear as soon as he stepped through the inner door. The Gym was filled with a thick fog.

The cool moisture made the hairs on his skin stand up, after the intense desert heat outside. As he recalled, this was weather that Ghost Pokemon liked. They could hide in the fog and get close to others without being noticed. However, they could sense the moisture particles moving, and would know if anyone was sneaking up on them. Even the muffling floor wouldn't help someone avoid a watchful Ghost here.

There were sounds of a battle nearby, although Polaris couldn't see the participants. "Use Quick Attack," a boy's voice said.

That was no good, Polaris thought. Unless his Pokemon had used Odor Sleuth or something to reveal the Ghost. According to the giggle that followed, he hadn't. Polaris walked away from the battle, but found himself approaching someone. A Gym Trainer?

No. It turned out to be a cameraman. Carefully, he stepped to the left to avoid him. On doing that, Polaris felt a change in the atmosphere. It wasn't much, just a skin prickle that was different than the temperature shock. There was a Ghost Pokemon nearby, he thought. His father had taught him to recognize that little sensation. Not many people could do that.

Moving back to the right, he felt the warning prickle vanish. "Pardon me," he said softly to the cameraman, then went on ahead. He knew he was looking for some stairs, as the Leader's room was on the fourth floor. Maybe if he found the wall, he could find the stairs.

He soon found the wall, but no stairs. He started to go right, but not only felt the presence of a Ghost, but also heard the Gym Trainer talk about how he beat the boy. He started to go back left, but there was another Ghost there. If he walked into the sensing range of those Pokemon, would a battle be triggered?

Not wanting to find out, Polaris backed up and carefully found a way between the Ghost warnings. There seemed to be three out in this room. On this far wall, he found the staircase. He navigated the second floor in much the same way, avoiding the three Ghosts. On the third floor, there seemed to be just one. But on walking quietly around the room, he had to conclude that the Gym Trainer was waiting by the staircase.

He could just battle the Trainer. But, he had done pretty well on the whole with avoiding unnecessary battles here. He could try again, to see if he could get away with it. He pulled up his left foot and checked the bottom of the shoe. As he'd thought, there was a pebble stuck there. Polaris pried it out, then tossed it to one of the corners, though the Ghost's senses.

"Oooom?" The Ghost moved towards the pebble to check it out. Soft footsteps indicated that the Trainer was following. Carefully, Polaris snuck past them to the stairs. He broke into a grin midway up.

On the fourth floor, the fog was less dense, presumably for the main film crew that was in. The floor was coated in thick mist, but as it coiled up, it lost its potency. Polaris could clearly see the middle-aged woman standing in the back of the room. She seemed like a suburban mom, with a long brown skirt, a yellow blouse, a brown floral-print jacket, and her hair in a nice braid. However, she also had a charm necklace with a silver ankh, a red bead, a tiny silver skull, and a miniature Duskull mask.

"So here's my first challenger of the day," Ann said. She looked at the computer screen, then smiled as she took a full team of six out. "Well since Peter was defeated on the first floor, you must be Polaris. But my, you got here without a single battle. How did you get past them, especially the last one?"

"My father taught me a lot about Ghost Pokemon," Polaris said. "And I just distracted the ones by the stairs with a pebble."

"Clever of you, young man. Well since this is your last badge challenge, I hope you've taken those lessons to heart. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, Ms. Hollows."

"Well said." She picked a Pokeball and released her first Pokemon, a Mismagius.

As Ann gave her first order, Polaris felt his heart race in fear. He restrained his wish to flee, instead calling out Varia. "Set yourself in, then attack," he ordered.

The Mismagius began singing a strange song. It wasn't Sing, as Polaris didn't know the melody. In the meantime, the Scyllamone set her roots into the floor, then activated Surf. The Mismagius was knocked out immediately, much to Polaris' relief. Ann then sent out a Haunter, who wrung his hands together and set up some spell that shone on his eyes. An accuracy boost, then?

Without warning, Varia wailed and fell unconscious. Perish Song, Polaris realized, that was what the Mismagius had used. He sent out Tesla, figuring she would negate the Poison type of the Haunter. However, the violet Ghost grabbed hold of her when she came over to attack. When it fainted, she fainted as well. That was Destiny Bond; he knew the look of the shimmering circles from the Contest circuit.

So Ann had sacrificed two of hers to knock out two of his. That was her usual strategy, he recalled from the internet discussion sites. However, he couldn't let it get to him. He waited just long enough to see what she was calling out: it was a winged creature of fire that burned on nothing, a Whirpyre. He had hoped to have Varia to fight that one off. Since he didn't, he called out Icewin. "Wash it away," he ordered.

"Use a flare," Ann countered.

A wave of Surf encountered a ball of Fire Blast, dispersing the cool mist and replacing it with a warm steam. Both Pokemon reeled from the hits, but remained conscious. Taking a chance, Polaris used a Hyper Potion on Icewin. Ann did the same, then ordered another Fire Blast. Since this wasn't a sufficient space to use Dive, Polaris had to ask for Surf again. After that, neither of them healed and Icewin managed to strike first.

Ann next brought out a Drifblim, a large violet colored balloon Pokemon. It was a Flying type too, right? "Icewin, cold bite," he ordered.

However, the slight curl to Ann's lips told him this might not have been a good idea. The Glasyrm used Ice Fang and knocked out the Ghost in one shot. There was then a burst of energy from the Drifblim. In revenge, it had knocked out Icewin. So he was down three and she was down four. Problem was, he had his more fragile or risky ones left.

She brought out a Dusknoir while he brought out Jessu. A feeling of dread came over Polaris, but he was able to explain that to himself. As its ability was Pressure, the Dusknoir would affect both him and the Kuni. But he had to remain confident. "Keep on your toes and strike," he ordered Jessu.

"Mew!" The Kuni began flying all over the battlefield, making it hard for the Dusknoir to target her. She flung Razor Wind around and occasionally attacked with her wings. Trying to follow her, the best the Ghost could do was give her a weak partial blow. But the Pressure was starting to affect Jessu, as she began to be more flustered in her attacks.

Then, the Dusknoir slashed its hand across its chest, causing a black shadow to escape and hit Jessu with a curse. It was left greatly weakened as a result. "Quick, your wings," Polaris called out.

She gave a last ditch effort to knock him out with a strike of her wings, but it wasn't enough. Jessu fainted. Polaris then called out Lethe; the Katisp was able to finish the Dusknoir off easily. Anne then sent out a strange creature that he had seen before. "Selkyrie, shoot her down."

"Lethe, reflect it," Polaris countered. While she defended against the Shadow Ball, it hurt her badly. But, that one was a Water type. He swapped the Katisp out for his Smeargle. The Selkyrie used Shadow Ball again, but that did not have any effect. "Picasso, use thunder."

The Smeargle gave a quick cheer that he was being called out as he shifted down to a battle position. He drew his Electric symbol in the air while the Selkyrie cursed him. While the Thunderbolt was enough to make it squeal, it wasn't enough to knock it out. Polaris ordered him to keep it up. The Selkyrie seemed to be moving slower, but its Aqua Tail attack knocked the Smeargle out. So, he was down to just one. He brought Lethe back out; she used her ghostly blade to finish the Selkyrie off before it could finish her.

Ann brought her hand up to her chin. "Well now… we have a serious problem here. I can't continue this battle, but I can't award you the badge either."

Huh? Lethe looked harshly at the Gym Leader, wondering if she was up to some trickery. Polaris asked, "Why is that?"

She brought up her last Pokeball. "If I release this Pokemon, I'll end up breaking one of the League rules. But the rules of my Gym require that anyone after their eighth badge must fight a full team of six. I'm sorry about this. But, if you'll allow me to swap out this last Pokemon, I'll give you a moment to heal up your Katisp. I'll explain afterwards."

That was unusual. Was that breaking another rule? But she did say that she would explain it, and he doubted she was trying to cheat. There was a film crew here, after all. He nodded. "Okay, I'll agree to that."

Bowing, Ann replied, "Thank you," then went over to a shelf to switch out balls.

'I hope she is not trying anything dishonest,' Lethe said, directing the telepathic thought at just him.

Polaris brought out a Hyper Potion to use on her. "Well she is giving me a break to heal you, so I doubt it," he replied quietly.

With a new Dusk Ball in hand, Ann came back to her spot. "Ready?"

He nodded. "Ready."

"Then your last Pokemon opponent arrives," she said, releasing a second Dusknoir. She gave her orders quickly.

That particular one didn't have much of an advantage as they would still be effective against each other, Polaris thought. "Use your strongest effective attack," he ordered.

The Dusknoir struck Lethe with a flaming fist, burning her. Paying that no heed, she caused the gold aura around her sword to brighten just before she slashed the taller Pokemon across her zig-zagged belly. It disjointed for a moment as if that really were a mouth on her stomach, which was a creepy effect. On the next orders, the Dusknoir punched the Katisp using a darker aura, but fainted to her second attack. Lethe's mist body dimmed down, shuddering at the pain of the burn. It seemed like another attack might have done her in too.

"Well done, Mr. Starr," Ann said, bowing. "That was quite an exciting battle. For that, you have earned this badge well."

Polaris felt flutters of nervousness; it was a close battle, even with the unexpected respite at the end. At the same time, he felt really proud for his Pokemon. They had managed to get him, inexperienced in battling a year ago, all the way to his eighth badge. "Yes, it was a great fight," he said, smiling to Lethe. The ghost nodded, then retreated to her Pokeball. He brought out a burn heal to fix up that wound.

The Gym Leader had gone back over to get the rewards box. "And here you are, the Haze Badge, the last one you need to get into Horizon Island in two months. Congratulations, and I suppose I owe you an explanation for this fellow." She had that Great Ball that held the previous last Pokemon of her team.

Nodding to her, he took the violet-colored plastic box. "Yeah. I suppose it must be an unusual rule."

"Not exactly unusual," she said. "It affects us Leaders a lot, but rarely do circumstances come up when an immediate team change is required. In here is Zen, my male Katisp."

"Him?" Polaris asked. Maybe it was a good thing; Zen was a strong Pokemon, tough to beat especially with another Ghost.

"Yes." She put the ball in her pocket. "Although Gyms are open most days of the year, we are not allowed to disrupt to natural cycles of Pokemon too much. Like Bug Gyms can't use Pokemon that are in a shedding phase for battle. Normally, Katisps are solitary creatures. They would happily take a challenge from another if they cross paths, in order to prove their strength. The trouble is, you have a female who, from the looks of her, is of the right age to be breeding. If I let my male out around her, well," she chuckled, "let's just say that that battle would quickly get out of hand. It wouldn't trigger to any other Pokemon, though, just if she came across a male Katisp."

He smiled. "I see. Yeah, that was probably for the best."

The leader nodded. "I just don't see many Trainers in here with a Katisp too. Those that do usually have males, so I don't worry. Then again, I saw how she holds her sword around you and reacts to your words. She holds you in high regards, you know. From that, I would say that it is no accident that you've managed to get this far in the League. I wish you well in November. Also," she glanced at the camera crew, then shooed them away with a hand motion. "I've been helping Professor Arboreal study the native Ghosts of this region. Would you mind an experiment?"

* * *

Because Icewin was so large, Polaris called them all outside of Zeitgeist to talk to them, taking them to the edge of the salt lake. "First, I want to say that you all did nicely in that Gym," he said. "I know she used a lot of cheap shots like Perish Song to knock some of you out quickly."

"Whesssarru," Varia said, flipping her pink hair away. She was displeased with that.

'It is a valid tactic,' Lethe said.

Polaris grinned. "Well despite that, we pulled it off. We've got eight badges now, so we'll be trying out for the Championship in two months."

"Ske dah?" Picasso asked, his eyes bright like he was asking if that was real. But then Icewin roared in pride, grinning and baring his teeth. Although she was usually quiet, Tesla smirked, then let out a similar roar as if to prove that she could be louder and more excited than him. Their Trainer laughed and nodded, causing the Smeargle to jump over and hug him tightly about the waist. Varia did a little dance while Jessu flitted about her happily. In contrast, Lethe just hovered there and seemed annoyed at the noise.

"We have two months to train and prepare for it, but we should still do all we can," Polaris said once they had all quieted and calmed down enough to listen to him. "We will be looking into Desolaire's location, but I think the places we have to go will prove to be good training grounds. I believe in all of you and I'll do my best to help and lead you."

"Koo!" Picasso said, letting go but grabbing his left hand instead.

'We all agree that we will do our best to assist you,' Lethe spoke for the group, getting various calls, mews, and clicks of agreement. Then she crossed her arms over her sword's handle. 'But what was the problem she had with her Pokemon?'

"Right, that," he said. Glancing at the others (who had all been unconscious for that), he explained, "I was down to just Lethe and Ann was on her last Pokemon, but she refused to call it out and asked if we would let her trade it out. I agreed to that. As it turns out, the one she didn't call was male Katisp."

Varia giggled. "Warrruraruibaih," she warbled, waving her hand in a teasing manner. Jussu landed on the Scyllamone and giggled too.

'Ah.' Not bothered by her peer's teasing, she added, 'Your League is quite civilized, so that would be a problem.' She looked off to the town, thinking.

For a moment, Polaris felt awkward. Maybe it was because humans thought differently, or maybe it was his upbringing, but this conversation could take an embarrassing turn, for him anyhow. And he wasn't a Pokemon breeder, so it wasn't something he usually considered. To ease into it, he brought out an extra item that Ann had given him. "Here, she did let me have this. She says it should help your attacks."

That interested her into looking back to him. 'Will it?' She looked to the item he had, a small metal incense holder on a chain. The fragrance inside smelled mysterious, although it reminded Polaris of the graveyard tunnels in Mount Pyre. While Polaris attached it to the right side of her helmet, Varia teased her again, causing Lethe to huff. 'I do have to consider getting an heir to my position,' she replied crossly.

They certainly didn't feel the shame he did in discussing such matters. But that meant that he should tell her, "I did talk to her for a while after that and learned that her Katisp likes to wander around the ruins late at night."

'Hmm… thank you.'

Polaris reminded himself that Ann had said that Lethe would be perfectly fine with fighting, but then he would have to take special care of her. That would matter for tomorrow. For today, he let his Pokemon enjoy the afternoon, either in goofing off or talking with them.

* * *

September 7

In the morning, Polaris unexpectedly found a charity pancake breakfast going on in the Pokecenter lobby. And it seemed to be run by a group of local Arkahn teens. "There's going to be a big religious youth rally in Unova this winter," a girl in rather trendy modern clothes told him. "It's for many different faiths and we want to go represent our people. But we need to get a certain amount of money raised before they'll accept us and match our funds. So would you help us?"

"Sure," he said, smiling. He did some calculations in his head. While it would be quite a lot of money, he pulled out enough money to cover seven times their asking price. "I'll pay for my Pokemon too; a couple of them won't eat much, but I have two Dragons, and they will."

She laughed. "Right, thank you so much. Do you want a tray so you can take it outside?"

"Later, that would be helpful; I'll just have my smaller ones out for now." He looked over the group, but didn't see any adults with them. There was just the nurse and a few other Trainers like him. "Are the older Arkahns okay with your trip?"

"Mostly," she said. "Last year, they told us no, but most everyone has changed their minds. It seems we have a new prophet, but we don't know much about him or if he'd support us. But the elders are letting us use technology now, which is awesome. It lets us contact the rally organizers faster."

"That's great," he said. Although he felt like he should let her know that he was the prophet (although still not a member of the church), he wasn't sure what he would say after that.

It was a rather good pancake breakfast, despite the fact that it had to have been made on a low budget. They had some choice: multigrain flour pancakes, strawberry pancakes, chocolate pancakes, or just plain. Also, they provided milk, orange juice, and some sausages. He was able to find something that each of his group would like.

After he finished his meal, Polaris turned on his computer to check his email and the news. Megan had called him last night to congratulate him on his eighth badge, while this morning he had several emails on the same subject, including from his parents and other members of his family. News had spread that fast?

One of them linked him to Jasper League news article posted yesterday afternoon, likely not long after a reporter had managed to track him down at the lake.

_Another qualifier for the Jasper League Championship Challenge has been acknowledged with all eight badges this morning. Polaris Starr has defeated Ann Hollows for the Haze Badge, the final token he needs to come to Horizon Island this November. This makes him the thirty-first qualifier of this year out of a record forty thousand plus official registered Challengers._

_It was a close battle that was recorded by League crews, one of only two wins against Ann that day. Polaris ended up calling out all six of his Pokemon in turn, five of which were knocked out during the course of the battle. At the end of it, his last one standing was a battered Ghost-Fighting type Katisp named Lethe who knocked out the Ghost type Dusknoir named Flicker. There was a bit of a controversy when Ann was forced to switch on her final Pokemon. Due to Rule 15 (link: …forbidding disruptive battles…), the League official we contacted has stated that the switch, battle, and win were all legitimate._

_We caught up with Polaris in the afternoon, where he was letting his Pokemon have the rest of the day off to play at the salty Zeitgeist Lake. He is a friendly and considerate Trainer who clearly treats his Pokemon as dear friends. During the interview, the Pokemon weren't shy around us and chattered in their own ways. Polaris even attributes much of his winning strategy to them as they often show initiative or creative thinking. A transcript of the interview can be found here (link)._

_At the Trainer Fan Club website, we found little information on Polaris and only a handful of fans. This eighth win will certainly change that, especially when it is considered that he only registered with the league last November, after the previous Horizon Island Challenge. Currently, he is best known as a former artist of the St. Rosaline Contest Hall, a very talented painter who is especially good at portraits of Pokemon and humans. Throughout the year, he has even produced beautiful paintings of the Jasper region's legendary Pokemon to help support his travels (some can be found here or here)._

_As the battle tapes from the Gym are being reviewed, a date for a showing of Starr vs. Hollows for an eighth badge is not available at this time. When we get this information, it will be added to the Battle Review page for this year's Championship Contenders. Currently available is the Starr vs. Cardon battle for a sixth badge and a one 'mon match of Starr vs. Cartwright, Scyllamone vs Selkyrie. Polaris Starr's current record against Gym Leaders is 8 wins to 1 loss._

He felt something sticky on his other arm, so looked over to see that his Kuni had landed there. Jessu looked distressed, with an unusual shine on her paws and one wing. "Awaoia," the feline cried plaintively.

"How did you get syrup on your wing?" he asked her. He looked over at Picasso, who shrugged and denied any involvement. Varia was preoccupied in cleaning herself and he hadn't seen Lethe yet this morning. "Let's go get you cleaned up. You two stay out of trouble.'

"Wehsa," Varia said, dipping her fingers in a glass of water to run through her hair.

Cleaning such a tiny Pokemon needed focus, as he didn't want to hurt her. He used a wet paper towel on her, being especially careful on her thin furred wings. That didn't quite get it, so he brought out a foaming shampoo he usually used on Picasso and used just a fingertip of the stuff on her wing. Jessu seemed to be able to get the remaining syrup off her paws by licking them, but the wings would be hard. After he'd rubbed the shampoo off, she flicked her wings, then fussed a bit. The one was still a touch damp from when he'd tried the paper towel.

He held his hand out flat on the counter where she stood. "I don't mind carrying you a short while until you feel comfortable flying. Want my shoulder?" He helped her get up there, but then saw a brief flash on the mirror. It was a glowing white circle, like the moon. "Lunarium?" he asked quietly.

"I'm here, in secret," the moon goddess replied. "I'd like you to speak to the teens in the other room on behalf of me. They're doing a good thing and ought to be encouraged."

Jessu purred in his ear, like she was encouraging him.

This was something that he would be expected to do now, he considered. Polaris nodded. "All right. What should I talk with them about?"

Sound amused, she replied, "I will be nearby, so don't fret about what to say. You'll find the words. One thing you might like to know is that I've been speaking with the others about what they've observed of this Pokemon League's way of doing things. We've agreed that while some things could be improved, it's a good system that helps people and Pokemon work together. And the adaptations the Sun Knights have made are good; as they apprentice themselves to certain Pokemon, they refused to capture that particular kind out of respect for their masters. And most Trainers should respect their Pokemon more. But, I think that with you coming into the spotlight, you could set a good example of this."

He smiled. "All right; I was thinking that myself. I'll go see what they're doing."

"Good, thank you."

Coming out of the bathroom, he saw that someone had taken the plates and utensils from his table already. Picasso was searching around a bookshelf, probably looking for something to draw on, while Varia was still grooming. The teenagers were gathered around the cooking station for now, laughing over something. Seeing him hesitate a moment, Jessu bumped her head against his neck. He had the support of the Maidens, and Lunarium. So he went over to his backpack to get his proof, then to the teens.

"Hey, you guys did pretty well," he said, getting their attention. He had the Transcriber easily visible under his arm. "And I wanted to say that I'm the apprentice to the Sky Twins, and I think you're doing a great thing in going to this rally."

This got answered with several stunned looks, as well as the girl who had greeted him saying, "Oh, you're the prophet?" This got the attention of everyone else in the Pokecenter lobby.

"Technically, Essen is still leading the church while I'm learning," he told them. "But I do speak for Lunarium; I'm searching for Desolaire right now. Look, someone has probably told you this, but I wanted to make sure that you knew. You're going out to Unova to represent a religion that most people haven't even heard about. So you should represent us well, giving others a good first impression. There are many different belief systems in the world and you should not put down another due to what they believe in. Everyone deserves respect, but you must first give it."

"Oh, sure," the girl said, smiling.

"But, uh," one boy at the grill interrupted, looking uncertain. "I heard some of the priests talking about how the ways we've followed while the Spirit Clan slept might not be the right ones. Some people don't believe that. But you've been talking to the gods and goddesses, right? So what are we supposed to do?"

Other people started to gather closer, even some curious travelers who weren't connected to the Arkahns. But Lunarium was watching him, maybe even guiding his words. It gave him a sense of peace despite being the center of attention. "The Spirit Clan is still observing and learning about modern society," he told the group. "But I can tell you of the things that will never change, and what has already been decided."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Pyrigmy, Whirpyre

**Pyrigmy** (evolve at max happiness) **Whirpyre**

The Guardian Spirit Pokemon

Type: Ghost/Fire

Ability: Levitate

Description: Pyrigmy is a little ball of red fire. Ghost flames flow behind it, giving it a comet kind of look. It has large black eyes and a thin mouth. A curl of flame comes off the top of its head, simple in females, larger in males. This Pokemon is about nine inches long and four inches tall counting the ghost flames, hardly weighing anything.

In the center of Whirpyre, there is a dense red flame body with the same kind of face as Pyrigmy. A single bird foot comes off the bottom, along with two long thin arms. Behind the body, there is a large poofy mane of ghost flames, ranging from red-violet to dark pink. On top, there is a pair of limbs that stretch up high, then stretch out red flaps of skin like improbable wings.

Notes: Pyrigmy is a reclusive Pokemon that takes patience and cunning to find, much less capture. One common trick is to sit quietly in a place they like to inhabit, like a foggy ruin or a graveyard and night, with a small mirror nearby. Pyrigmy are fascinated by their own reflections. Once captured, it is reluctant to trust its Trainer. As its body is pure fire, one could get easily burned. But as the Pyrigmy warms up to you, it will make its flames safe to touch. Still, keep burn heals on hand at all times.

Whirpyre is an extremely loyal Pokemon; the Arkahns have used them as guardians of treasure troves, as nothing could persuade them to give up a task that someone they love has given them. Due to this, they can be hostile to others that mistreat their Trainer. They don't see the difference between simple insults and direct assault, so be wary of your Whirpyre's mood if you get into an argument. On the other hand, you need never fear even pickpockets when out walking with your Whirpyre. (A. Hollows)


	30. Empathic Troubles

September 19th, year 59

Mount Keidei, Graystone Mountains

The Graystone Mountains had numerous peaks and caves, both of which got reports of supernatural activity. After negating examples that could be linked to Hu-kyo's residence, Polaris began looking into what remained. As the weather was good, he often ran into other Trainers exploring the mountains and caves. They usually agreed to having a battle, so he could keep up with his team's training.

One issue that he had was that Lethe had grown moody over the past few days. She insisted that nothing was wrong, but made it difficult to work with her. Like when she frightened a Graveller so badly that it caused a rock slide just to get away from her. Polaris' heart was pounding as he looked over the scattered rocks near him. "That was close," he said.

"Chadoh," Picasso agreed.

'Serves him right,' the Katisp muttered telepathically. 'He wasn't going to get away with saying that to me.'

"What was he saying?" he asked. "You nearly got us hurt in antagonizing him; I wasn't going to battle that time."

'It's not something for you to hear,' she said, giving off a feeling of embarrassment. She also tilted her helmet forward, as if hiding her eyes. 'And I'm really sorry about that. I wasn't thinking of getting anybody hurt… well, except for him… I'm sorry.'

"All right, but…"

She managed to interrupt him with, 'I hope it hasn't broken my honor to you. We are supposed to protect and guide you, so to have failed in that means that I'm no good and…' she started crying.

Nearby, the Smeargle was looking at her warily; he wasn't certain what to do about a normally stoic Pokemon breaking down like that. Polaris had a feeling that this was actually normal. She was going to be laying an egg soon, and maybe it was her first time. That would lead to this temporary unbalance.

"Hey, calm down," he said gently. "Do you need some time to yourself? Or would you like me to send one of the other girls with you, like Tesla?" He thought of the Garchomp because she always seemed so mature.

Lethe got embarrassed again, pulling her sword close. 'Don't you need her to protect you?'

"Well Varia can probably trash anything that's down here," he pointed out. "And the others can take care of anything that'll give her trouble."

For a few moments, she refused to answer. Then she nodded. "Ssuuukarruuu…" 'All right, that's… probably for the best.'

"Good." He brought out the Garchomp and Scyllamone. "Tesla, would you go with Lethe and take care of her? She needs some quiet."

She readily agreed to that, then encouraged her friend off with some soothing near-growls. Varia waved to them, then looked up at him with her lone eye. "Shishi?"

"I didn't mean to fight anything down here anyhow," he told her and Picasso. "This cave system is even more complex than the ones we've already been through. But I've got a plan to make things run quicker." He paused, looking at the dark stone walls lit by his lantern. "It helps that I doubt this is the right place. It doesn't feel like my dreams; not enough moisture. But this is going to take a lot of patience and waiting, so we need to be cautious and not scare anything off." He started back down the tunnels. "We need to find the right spot, though.

Eventually, he came to a place that seemed good. It was a small chamber, but there were six tunnels going out of it. For Pokemon that would be roaming around, this would be a major crossing point. Polaris then pulled out a prepared portion of bait. Fortunately, he could specifically target the kind of Pokemon he was after, as very few others in the caves would go after this wheat and berry biscuit. He placed the bait on a raised stone in one corner, then sat down with his Pokemon nearby. He didn't hide, but to look less threatening, he brought out his and Picasso's sketchbooks to pass the time.

The cave was not quite as quiet as one would think. There were constant communications between various Pokemon, from high pitched chitters of the Zubats and Golbats to gravelly rumbles of the Rock types. Occasionally, there was a racket as a fight broke out down one of the tunnels. Sometimes he even heard human voices, other Trainers wandering around the tunnels. They were at the edges of his hearing, though. Hopefully they didn't try to disturb Tesla and Lethe.

As he'd thought, a number of Pokemon used this room as a crossing point. Most ignored him. An Onix once stopped in the room and looked at him for nearly ten minutes. It was hoping for a fight. Once he apologized and said that he wasn't looking for a battle, it nodded and snaked off into another tunnel to find another Trainer. Maybe it was looking to get stronger, like that Absol had.

While it took a few hours, the one he hoped to find appeared in the room. It came suddenly, a small tan form near the piece of bait. He picked up the biscuit, turning it around in his hand-like paws and sniffing. Then, he looked right to Polaris.

"You may have that, Abra," he said. "I wanted to ask one of you a question, if you don't mind."

The Abra kept studying him. Once satisfied, he began nibbling at the biscuit. 'Very well, blessed of the gods,' he said. 'What do you wish to ask?'

"I'm looking for the soul of the sun goddess, Desolaire. She would seem like a ghost, but being an immortal, she is merely separated from her body. Have you seen or sensed her in these caves?'

'Let me consider it.' The Abra kept eating, so Polaris went back to sketching. When he looked back up, the Psychic Pokemon had finished and was yawning. 'I asked those who are awake to power,' he said, possibly referring to some wild Kadabras. 'Her soul does not hide within these mountains. You should be safe in seeking your other two Pokemon now. Thanks for the food.' Then he slouched down, still sitting up. The Abra was soon asleep.

"Thanks for the advice," he still replied. Then he put up the sketchbooks and left quietly. The Abra stayed in that spot.

Polaris was getting good enough with his radar sense that he was certain that he could find Lethe and Tesla himself. But he let Picasso sniff around and find their trails, as the Smeargle seemed eager to help. Along the way, he caught a sense of another's feelings: distress, fear, confusion. At first, he was concerned that something had gone wrong with Lethe. But then he picked up on feelings of pride and contentment; those were from his two Pokemon, so they were okay. Who was the one in trouble, though?

Picasso led him to a small dead-end room. Tesla was guarding the door, but she bowed and let them in. Inside, Lethe's glow was dim and her eyes were closed, but she had her body and sword around a silvery-white egg. She opened her eyes as he and Picasso came close. 'Oh, everything's fine now,' she said. 'I was nervous, but Tesla helped.'

Smiling, he crouched down by her. "That's good. You should rest now; I'll make sure your egg is kept safe while we get out of here."

'Thank you, Polaris.'

He set down his travel bag and searched through what was in there. Anything hard or sharp he put into digital storage. In exchange, he brought out some of his sweaters and a camping blanket to put inside the bag. He wasn't sure if her egg was supposed to keep warm or cool, but Lethe didn't object when he picked up her egg and placed it in the blanket. Once it was secured, she retreated back to her Pokeball, along with Varia who probably was escaping the relatively dry air down here.

So that left him with Picasso and Tesla. "I think someone's in trouble around here," he told them. "I'm going to look, then we can leave."

"Hmph." The Garchomp nodded, then followed along.

Following the feelings of distress, he led them downward into the cave system. At one point, they came to a very steep drop-off they had to go down. Tesla insisted on carrying him down that, which he figured was probably safest. Picasso managed to jump down on his own. Not long after that, he heard another's footsteps. The feelings were definitely closer. "Hello?" he called out.

"Polaris?" The guy's voice was familiar, but he didn't entirely recognize him until they came into the same hall. It was Diego, looking roughed up. His brown hands had recent scrapes and there was rock dust in his black hair. "Thank goodness. Do you know the way out? I got lost." But the turmoil of emotions under the surface indicated that being lost wasn't the only problem.

"It's some ways from the exit here," he said, activating his computer. "But I've got an escape rope. Here, I was getting ready to leave too, so just come with me."

"Okay, thanks," he said, taking hold of his shoulder. Polaris got out the escape rope, a curious length of yellow fibers. When it was activated, the rope whirled around the user, teleporting him or her outside, usually to the entrance one had used.

Once at the cave entrance, Diego looked around to get an idea of where they were. He didn't seem confident in it. "It's some distance from a town here. Oh what a fine time for…" he closed his eyes, some anger and disappointment seeping in.

Polaris felt unnerved by his own empathy. He could tell exactly how his acquaintance was feeling right now even though it was complex and layered. However, he had no idea what the context of those emotions was. Yet there were parts of it that were familiar; those reminded him of the morning he had woken up and discovered that Sienna was seriously ill.

"What's going on?" he asked, stepping onto his pathway out to keep him there. When Diego seemed uncertain, he added, "You seem to be troubled and worried about something."

"Four of my Pokemon have gotten sick all of a sudden," he said, his feelings shifting towards concern for them. "It was when we were on the peaks that I noticed that Jacafrare had strange chills. We started to head down, but then he and three others all collapsed, one after the other. I was panicked for a bit, but my Salamence was still healthy." Then it shifted to that anger. "But he decided that right then was a good moment to give me a hard time and be disobedient again. He could have flown me back to town, but he just wasn't listening. So I had to get off the peak with just Will, that Absol. But he and the Salamence are unconscious now and I messed up on my backtracking." Diego's face turned pink as he got worried and embarrassed at once. "I don't know what happened to my four other ones, but I can't…"

That was why. Polaris brought out the Transcriber. "In that case, I'll get you back to town. Hold onto me again; Picasso, Tesla, back to your Pokeballs." His two Pokemon nodded and retreated as asked.

Diego did as asked too. "That thing… Eve said that you could do odd things with it." His curiosity wasn't that strong, though. He was going along so that his Pokemon could get help.

And Polaris didn't mind that as he drew the Teleport signal. "Right." He sent them back to one of the Pokecenters of Graystone City. "Go on in."

He nodded and went inside, with Polaris following. Unfortunately, this center was quite busy. Several people were waiting and four were in a line. Diego skipped the line and went right to the counter. "I'm sorry, but I've got an emergency; four of my Pokemon seem to be badly sick."

"Oh, all right," the nurse said. "Would you give me one of their Pokeballs, please?"

"But my whole team was defeated," the boy at the counter whined.

"I'll get them in waiting briefly," the nurse said in patience. With this many Trainers around, their healing machine probably couldn't keep up as usual. She passed Diego's Dusk Ball through a scanner, then nodded gravely. "Yes, this is quite unusual. I'll need your ID card and all of your Pokemon, please, even the ones that aren't sick yet. They'll have to be taken in back." She picked up a phone while inputting the information on Diego's card. "Yes Doctor Kestrel, I have six Pokemon that need to be taken into quarantine. The case under Cartwright. Okay, I'll send him in back as well." She put the six balls into a case and passed it off to a nearby Chansey. "Please take this back to Room Twelve, along with their Trainer. The main doctor will see your Pokemon soon, and he'd like you back there in case any of them get anxious."

"Sha cha," the Chansey said, nodding seriously towards Diego. He followed the fairy-like Pokemon in back.

While that was going on, Polaris went to the end of the line and waited. The girl in front of him shrugged and said, "It's one of those waiting days."

"Yeah," he replied. "Is something going on or is it just a lot of travelers?"

"There's a street tournament being held a couple blocks over," she explained. "It's too late to enter, but a bunch of us are hoping to get back in time for the second chance round."

"Ah, that explains the crowd."

She nodded. "Too bad about your friend; at least he managed to convince her that it was an emergency."

Several minutes later, he was at the counter (and another two Trainers had come in after him). "Hi, I'm here to get these ones healed," he said, handing over five of his Pokeballs, then glanced around at the crowded lobby. "And this last one, could I get her into a check-up with a doctor today? She's laid an egg just a few hours ago and I want to make sure they're both okay."

The nurse brightened up. "Oh sure, I can arrange for that. Would you like to get her and her egg into a quieter room to rest?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great. She'd behave hostile if she knew this many strangers were about, I think."

"Of course." The nurse looked back to see that her helper Chansey had come back in. "Linsey dear, we've got a new mother Pokemon that needs some rest; could you set her up in room three? This is her Trainer."

The Chansey smiled. "Cheewarruuu!" Then she waved Polaris over.

"Thanks, nurse," he said, following the Chansey back.

It did seem quite busy down one hall, where Diego and his Pokemon were. But he was brought to a quieter section, to the corner room of a short hallway. It was a small exam room, with a wall of cabinets opposite a sunny window. Once he brought the Katisp out and explained why she was here, she discussed with the Chansey what she wanted, including pulling the curtains on the windows and leaving the door partway shut. Another human nurse came by and said that the doctor's check up would be a little while later. Polaris brought out the egg and left Lethe with it to rest some more.

Back in the lobby, he decided to hang around and wait. The rest of his Pokemon hadn't been through the healing machine and since he wasn't in the street tournament, they weren't a priority. So he checked up on news on the internet, then brought out his sketchbook to review. The lobby slowly emptied again. When he got his team back, he brought out Picasso to keep him company.

It was about two hours before Diego came back into the lobby. He had gotten his wounds cleaned up and dressed with bandages, but his internal troubles hadn't lifted at all. Having figured out a way to help, Polaris recalled Picasso and went over to the younger man. "Hey Diego. Do you want to go somewhere to talk? We can go to a diner and get you a hot meal too."

Hesitating, it seemed that he might deny the offer. But then he nodded. "Oh, sure, thanks. If I heard things right, you are practically a priest right now."

"Almost, not quite," he said. "Come on, I've heard of a nice place near here."

Having found out where the street tournament was, Polaris took Diego away from that location and went to Roger's Burgers several blocks from the Pokecenter. It turned out to be a good place, as the tables were divided off by partial walls and plants, giving them some privacy. The waitress left them with a menu booklet and got their drink orders.

Once she left, Polaris asked, "So how are your Pokemon?"

"It's a bacterial infection," he said. "The Feeble Paws illness."

He nodded. "And that's why they collapsed suddenly?"

"Yeah. We got back in time, before the more dangerous phase sets it. The doctor put all six of them on antibacterials, in case Salamence and Will are sick too and just not showing it yet. Due to where I was, they think some of the wild mountain Pokemon were infectious. You might want to double check yours later on." He rubbed his forehead. "But they're going to have to be in quarantine care for at least a month, more if they don't recover as expected, and there's still a chance, if the antibacterials don't take hold in the next three days, that things could be much worse."

"That's a harsh possibility to face," he said. "I know how that is. One of mine once got hit with demon venom; the Pokecenter managed to cure that."

"I know they do well," Diego said, dropping his hands onto the table. "It's still hard to think about what to do if I do lose one of them."

"I have lost one of my own Pokemon to illness before," Polaris admitted. "My starter was a Sudowoodo. She caught a virus, but it had a gene for the Fire type, so she didn't show any symptoms until it was too late. If it had a Water or Grass gene, it would have been caught right away."

"That's rough. Though, it does make me feel better that all of mine are in treatment, in case that same kind of thing can happen with this one."

"The doctors these days really know what they're doing."

Then the waitress came over with their drinks. "Are you ready to order yet?"

They hadn't even looked at their menus, and Diego still felt nervous enough that he wouldn't want to eat right off. "Not right now," Polaris said. "Could you give us some time? We're discussing important matters."

She nodded. "Sure thing. Just wave to me if you want my attention." She went off to take care of other customers.

After glancing aside, Diego looked to him and said, "Actually, I feel kind of rotten about how certain things went. When the doctor was telling me that they needed to stay out of contact with other Pokemon for so long, my first thoughts were thinking that this could really set me back for the Horizon challenge in November." He grimaced at the thought. "I mean, I'm not that obsessive, at least, I thought not. I always thought, yeah, I care about my Pokemon, everyone does, but then I was thinking, do I really?

"I know I care about Jacafrare, as he's been with me all these years and he was my first Pokemon. But then there's Salamence, who I've been training for months, but I still can't figure out why he wouldn't listen to me earlier. He does that sometimes, especially when we're not in battle. He will obey in battle, but other times, it's iffy. I don't know how much it would be worth it to keep him around when he's like that, but then I've spent so much time with him that I should know him better and I don't…" Diego sighed. "It's not like I abuse them or make them keep training when they're tired. I don't know… I didn't think that I was being selfish."

"It is an easy trap to fall for," Polaris said. "The culture of the League puts a lot of focus on the Trainers when it should be equal to the Trainers and their Pokemon. And due to the enforced obedience from the badges, people think that all they need to control Pokemon are more badges. Maybe Salamence feels disrespected or ignored somehow." That offended the other some, so he tried to address that by adding, "It does take a long time to learn about any Pokemon."

It worked some. "I guess so."

Curious, he asked, "Do you happen to know how many times Salamence has been traded between Trainers?"

He thought about it. "Actually, I'm not certain. The ID number of the guy I got him from didn't match the OT number in his Pokeball. I wouldn't know how to figure out how many trades he'd been through."

"You could ask the Pokecenter; it would be in their records. I ask because my Smeargle was traded many times before I got him and it was tough to get his obedience. I think what won him over wasn't my badge count, but how I treated him and was interested in him personally. Do you have a Pokemon in your group that can act as a translator?"

He nodded. "There's Claydol. It usually doesn't say much, though, and has a tendency to compress something into as few words as possible."

"I see. Well either with or without its help, you could spend the next couple of months speaking with them outside of battles and strategy. Let them know that you care about them and are concerned about how they're doing. By the time they get released, they'll likely care about you more and you could have a bond as strong with them as you have with Jacafrare. You could have time to work their strength back up after they're released from care, but even then, don't make it all about training."

Diego pondered that, seriously considering it. "Right, that would be the thing to do. Stay positive." Then he smiled, partly covering up some leftover shame. "And care about your team… huh, one of the first things they teach you about Pokemon training and somehow I've skimped on it over the years."

"A lot of people do, I think," he said. "It's something I want to push to be changed."

"I'll try it. Hey, I hope I'm not holding you up on anything."

He shook his head. "Not really. I was going to return because one of my Pokemon laid an egg just today. Got her and the egg checked up by a doctor and everything looks fine."

That genuinely made him smile. "Ah, that's great! Taking care of an egg and its hatchling can be quite an adventure. At least the mother's part of your team; that seems to help the little one in its early days."

Polaris smiled back. "Yeah, this'll be interesting. I just hope the mother doesn't get too overprotective; she's my Katisp and that could lead to some problems."

"Yeah that would. I've taken care of several hatchlings before, so you can ask me about anything. Of course, you care a great deal from Pokemon already and you might not have too much trouble."

They spent much of that meal discussing the care of Pokemon eggs and hatchlings, which helped to cheer Diego back up. His Pokemon were in trouble, but the doctors were watching over them and the young man seemed determined to make good use of this time to change some of his habits. Polaris promised that he would be willing to listen and support him no matter what happened with this.

Even though the upcoming challenge in November would turn them into competitors for the same honor.


	31. Horizon Island

November 2nd, year 59

For two months, Polaris found himself trekking all over the Jasper region once again in search of Desolaire's soul. Every night, he prayed to her and tried to contact her within his dreams again. Sometimes he could sense her, but he either couldn't speak to her or couldn't remember what he had said. He also encouraged the Arkahn people to also pray to their sun goddess with their hopes for her full return. Out of all the possible sites he'd gotten from Blair and Camilla, there was just one more left.

"Hello, welcome to the Horizon Island Gate," a perky receptionist in a green dress said. "Have you come to sign-in to this year's challenge?"

"Yes, m'am," Polaris said. He handed over his badge box and Pokeballs. To himself, he believed that she could be here and go mostly unnoticed. The area was only crowded once a year, after all.

She scanned the ID in his box first, then stated, "Once you have registered this team, you may not switch Pokemon until you reach the stadium. You must acquire ten wins with this team on the way there. If you get ten losses, though, you'll be disqualified. Are these the Pokemon you will be using?"

He nodded. "Yes, they are. I do have this other one with me." He pulled out the seventh Pokeball from his bag. "But this one is holding an egg, so even if it does hatches, I won't be able to use it."

"Oh, of course," she said, smiling. "All right then, I'll go ahead and take data on all seven so we know who's here with what. We also need to check them in case they caught that Feeble Paws outbreak."

"Mine should be okay," he said, which was something he was relieved about. Even though he'd been near the source of the original breakout, he'd been very careful due to the egg he had. And from what he'd heard, Diego's team had come out all right. He had only had the last two weeks to fully prepare, so Polaris wasn't sure if he had his full original team or if he'd made substitutions.

This scanning took longer than usual, probably because they were registering the team in a database. When it was done, she handed back his things as well as passed over a small orange box with a clip. "This is the tracking device you need to wear at all times. It will allow us to get you out if there's trouble and track your battle record. If you encounter someone wearing a red Pokeball badge, they are our staff; they cannot help you find the way through the maze, but they will help you however much they can. Anyone else may be challenged towards your ten needed wins. Any questions?"

"No, I think I've got it."

"Okay, good luck." After giving him a wave, she smiled to the next entrant who was coming in the door.

As he walked off, Polaris wondered how much coffee she had consumed in order to be so perky at this job. Or maybe the 'once-a-year' aspect made it easier than staying that way in other League jobs. Besides, she didn't have to deal with the nerve-inducing challenge of Horizon Island.

Wanting some company, he called out Picasso. "Well, it's time for the maze. We have to navigate through this place and win ten battles by the end of the week."

"Hai oo!" the Smeargle replied, jumping up while throwing his fist up. He was raring the go.

Polaris laughed and patted him. "I can't believe it's only been a year since I got you. You're more talkative now. And more obedient."

"Kooo," he said, for some reason pinching Polaris' nose.

"Well, we can't goof off all day. Let's go." He entered the caves, with the Smeargle scampering beside him.

In the first cavern, there was a large sculpture of an Onix. Its head and tail were on the ground, but its body arched up above the rest. There were six tunnels branching off this first room. While the tunnels were all dark, there were lights coming from some of them, from rooms they connected to. By the statue's base, there was a man who looked to be in his thirties. He wore a yellow hard hat and a yellow jacket.

The man looked over and grinned at him. "Hey there. You here for your first year?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but how can you tell?"

"Well you don't know which way to go first, and you're admiring this sculpture."

"Feh," Picasso muttered.

"I am an artist," Polaris said. "Did the League move this here? It looks too old for them to have ordered it made."

He looked back to the stone Onix. "This? Nah, it was here when the League moved in and they saw no point to taking it down. There's some other statues further in the cave system, but nobody knows what they're here for."

"The Arkahn people might know. I've seen a statue with a similar style in Diedre."

"Maybe. So you want your first battle of Victory Road? One on one, with who've we got out."

"Is that acceptable?" he asked.

"Any League approved battle styles are."

Polaris wondered if that included the Arkahn warrior tradition. They certainly let Nevin conduct his own battles. "And I don't see which one you have out."

"He's hiding. Rotom, come over here."

"Zzz zzzit!" With that, a small ball of plasma came out from behind the Onix statue. It had jagged limbs, like stylized bolts, and a body like a Castform. It hovered around in short zig-zag dashes.

"What is that?" Polaris asked.

"A Rotom. I encountered him on a job repairing the wiring of an old house. You ready?"

Picasso clicked excitedly and jumped in the air. "Wooo!" He then dropped down to all fours.

"All right," Polaris said. It was definitely Electric type. Maybe Ghost too? "Use earth," he said quietly.

"Thunderbolt," the electrician called for.

The Electric attack was strong, but Picasso's Earthquake didn't phase the Rotom. Noticing him scowling, Polaris said, "Okay, try alternating fire and ice now." His own Thunderbolt was probably not a good idea.

The following Ice Beam, then Flamethrower did affect the Rotom. However, it wasn't enough. The Rotom managed to knock out Picasso.

"This year is going to be my triumph," the electrician said. "Oh, and you might want to be making a computer map as you go along. All the other obstacles, you're on your own for."

"Sure, thanks." But he was already looking away to dig through his bag for a Revive and Super Potion. He got Picasso back awake and alert. "Sorry."

The Smeargle shook his head, then patted his hand.

"It is just one loss," he agreed. "We aren't in trouble until we get close to ten. But I think we should be more careful about the kind of battles we get into. So that just leaves," he got up and looked around, "which tunnel to check out first." He had missed which one the electrician had gone through.

"Hmm." Picasso then covered his eyes with one hand, pointed the other, then spun around crazily. He wound up pointing at one door. "Ko!"

Polaris laughed. "I'm sorry, but that's the entrance. Let's try that left most one first." He flipped open his arm band computer and started up a GPS mapping program. The League wouldn't allow such maps to be distributed, but he could make one for his own use. After taking his Pokemon's paw, they went through that tunnel.

* * *

It was the end of the first day. Polaris sat on a bench with Picasso and looked at his tracking device. 5-3 was his current record for Victory Road. While it was halfway to the requirement, he had only made it to the first rest station. At least, it was the first one he had found. His map had two dozen tunnels that he had yet to check out, over three subterranean levels. Picasso was whistling, though. He found the five wins enough to be happy for.

And it was, Polaris thought. He didn't even have a single badge a year ago, and now he was here on Victory Road. "I think we ought to stick to full team battles," he told Picasso. "Those three losses were all restricted numbers. Besides, the final five battles will all be full team, so if someone doesn't want to face six Pokemon at once, what are they doing here?"

Picasso nodded.

A man coming in distracted him from his thoughts. It was the electrician he had met first thing in the morning. He came up to the healing station and passed over three Pokeballs. "Would you take care of them?"

"Of course sir," the nurse said as she took them.

He hung his head and shook it. "Aw man, I can't believe it. A 1-9 record, that's the worst I've had coming into this thing."

"There's still a chance," the nurse said, but it seemed to be what she was instructed to say to everyone.

"Lousy chance," he muttered. He lifted his head and looked over to where Polaris was. "Oh, hey there. How're you doing?"

"All right," he said, not sure he wanted to boast about his record. "You've fought ten battles just today?"

"That's how you have to do it," he insisted. "Get all the fighting out of the way the first couple of days. After that, the obvious losers are gone and it'll get right tough to get all ten wins because you can't find anybody."

"I see," Polaris said, slowly nodding. Maybe that was why he kept finding people who seemed to be waiting in one place. They wanted to get the battles done with first. In all honesty, he was surprised to have gone through eight himself. He was certain that his Pokemon were all feeling fatigued, especially Picasso who had walked with him all day.

"Mr. Starr?" the nurse called over to him. "Your room is ready. It's number 4."

"Okay, thank you." He looked to Picasso. "Let's get some sleep. We've got six more days to go."

* * *

November 4th, year 59

Victory Road was multilevel, but Polaris felt he was making progress. His record was now 8-4, on the third day. As the electrician had suggested, the map was very useful… and battles against Trainers were becoming scarce. He also believed that he was coming close to Desolaire. There was some powerful spirit around, and while it was emitting a neutral emotional state, it seemed to be weary.

Battles against wild Pokemon were in greater supply, keeping him preoccupied much of the time. He had his Garchomp facing off against an odd Pokemon called Crisiti. It was a small pale snail that clung to the wall; the spiral shell on its back was like frosted glass, showing a glowing and whirring energy. He had accurately identified it as an Electric type, as it was shooting sparks everywhere. From a safe distance, he and Icewin observed the battle.

Tesla finally swam through the water and rammed into the wall, knocking the Crisiti out. Its body mechanically withdrew back into its shell, but remained attached to the wall. Curious thing. "You doing okay, Tesla?" Polaris called loudly as Icewin swam over. A noisy rush of a waterfall made it hard to talk. "I'm sorry about calling you out into the river."

Waving her paw dismissively, she seemed not bothered enough to blame him for it. But she did retreat to her ball to get out of the cool water. The Glasyrm chuckled and swam on. Checking his Pokedex, Polaris noted that Crisiti was also an Ice type. So maybe Tesla hadn't been best there. But she had managed it well.

The air grew increasingly damp and noisy, while the spirit seemed to be closer. When they turned a corner, the waterfall was right there at a dead end. It was short, with paths on either side at the top. Polaris took hold of one of Icewin's horns. "I guess they expect people to have Waterfall handy. I could use Fly to get us up there." But then…

Hesitant to go up the waterfall, Polaris focused on sensing that spirit better. To his relief, it was a Fire and Psychic type. That was more likely Desolaire then. And for a moment, he thought he saw a golden trail of aura in the air, heading downward. Wasn't that the path he had followed from Taigen's treasure trove? The puzzle was finding out how to get down there physically.

A splash of cold water hit him from behind, startling him out of focus. He felt a sense of concern mixed with mischief from his dragon. "Icewin!" he said, then chuckled. "I was sensing things; no need to splash me with your tail."

Giving a grunting chuckle, the Glasyrm turned his head to look at him. He seemed to be wondering what they were going to do.

Polaris touched his furry body. "Icewin, is there a tunnel under the water? I think Desolaire is nearby, but not up there."

The Glasyrm swam closer to the waterfall, ducking his head underwater. Then he lifted his head up and made some clicking sounds, while pointing down. Yes, there was something down there.

"Okay, give me a moment and we'll try that way." He shut his computer off and made sure his bag was closed. Then he held on tight as Icewin used Dive.

It was dark in this cave water, and cold. Although Polaris couldn't tell where they were going, Icewin seemed to find his way. After a moment, a bright spot appeared in the water. One of the Crisiti was on the wall, illuminating some of the water. From that, he realized that the twisty path Icewin took was not random; this tunnel was crooked, with rough walls. They turned a corner and the light from the snail Pokemon was gone.

After passing three more Crisiti, Icewin finally emerged from the tunnel. It was a small stone room with rough walls and pebble-strewn paths. By the pool, a Crisiti poked its head out of its crystal shell and looked at them. From its light, Polaris could tell this wasn't like the rest of Victory Road.

"We seem to be off the regular path," he said, climbing off the dragon and onto the shore. "But this place has a strong aura that's familiar." He quieted for a moment, feeling the aura instead of studying it. There was the bright point, like a spot of sunlight underground. Rock was also strong down here, but stronger than just natural rock on its own. It had a pulse, a heartbeat. But there was also a trace of evil. "Is there a Crystal Heart down here too?"

"Zurrreeee?" a squeal came from his feet. He looked down at the Crisiti, who held its eyestalks up to look at him intently.

"I've seen one at Moonflower Cavern," he told it. "It seems the demons are looking for this one too."

"Zzzrt!" The snail Pokemon slithered over to the rocks and sniffed at an indentation. There was a shoeprint there. As the light source was closer, Polaris could see water marks.

"The demons couldn't come to the Heart unless someone went there first," he recalled. Then he knelt down by the Pokemon. "Crisiti, I can't take you out of here, but would you help me find whoever came in here? Before the demons find this person, or the Heart." Or Desolaire.

"Seeeh." The Crisiti slithered closer to him. The one he had battled hadn't moved quickly, so Polaris picked this one up, recalled Icewin (for the tunnels were too small), then brought out Lethe as they went into the tunnels. He told the Katisp about his suspicions and feelings.

'This is Rexnen Island?' she asked in response. 'The one Heart you describe as feeling is at Rexnen. If someone else has come here inadvertently, we should go assist that one.'

"Slurrrzii," the Crisiti said.

'He says it's been a long time since anyone called this place Rexnen.'

Lethe did well picking out the footprints, finding which way the person had wandered. By the Crisiti's light, Polaris didn't trip or stumble on the loose rocks. The snail Pokemon buzzed and hissed as they came upon a chamber that was lit with enchanted torches.

'The chamber with the Heart Crystal is just ahead,' Lethe said. 'But so is the Trainer and...'

"And the demon," Polaris said, noticing that himself. "Is there a guard?"

She nodded, making the rings on her helmet clink. 'There is a slumbering Regirock on duty.'

Well, he should get that guard awakened quickly. Taking a deep breath, he called out into the rocky chamber. "Regirock, I call on you to awaken and perform your duty, under the authority of Desolaire and Lunarium!" And two spirits responded to his orders.

As he came in, he saw a green haired boy in the room; he seemed to be a young teen, thirteen or fourteen years old. It was hard to tell much else about him, as his body was surrounded by a whirl of black smoke. Past the boy, there was a large mound of rock that was coming to alertness. As with Moonflower, the Rexnen Heart was on the ceiling, pulsing with power without regard of who was in the room. A brown column of light came up around Regirock and the Heart it guarded. The demon hissed through the boy.

'We must get the demon spirit out of that boy,' Lethe said.

"I've seen my father do exorcisms," he said quietly, putting down the Crisiti. "But I haven't… I don't even have the right charms."

'Use my blade to focus your power,' she suggested, offering the handle to her.

For a blink of a thought, he wasn't sure. But this wasn't a time to hesitate. Polaris took the handle, feeling the Katisp's power connect to his. He also didn't have time to decide on what kind of exorcism was needed. Instead, he chose the first one that popped into his mind. With his lack of experience, it had just as much of a chance of being the right one as anything else. But there was also a large chance it would be the wrong one.

'It will be the right one,' a telepathic voice told him, but not Lethe. He felt a touch on his shoulder and a reddish-gold glow appeared in the air.

"Good," he said quietly. He ran over, then placed the silver blade on the boy's left shoulder. "Vile demon, this is not your place. Take leave of this child and never enter his heart or soul again. Do this by the grace of Arceus the Creator!"

The demon gave a horrified shriek as the black smoke was yanked away from the boy's body. It became a whirl of black smoke holding a vaguely female torso and head. Vaguely, as it had flames for breasts, a third arm coming out its back with the regular two pushed forward, and a densely packed bunch of thin cartilage spikes instead of hair. A glow came from all three of its hands as it began a fire spell.

While he was uncertain of what to do, Lethe claimed control of his right arm and blocked the resulting flurry of fireballs. Polaris stepped in between the now collapsed boy and the demon. A large rock then flew from Regirock to the demon, causing a sickening thud as it hit its head. With an unearthly moan, the demon dissolved into dust.

"Zzzow," the Crisiti called when it was gone.

'Yes, nicely done,' Lethe said as Polaris let her go. 'I hope I did not cause any problems in fighting with you.'

He rubbed his shoulder. "I think I'll be okay." He turned to the green-haired kid and checked on him. "I wonder if he's going to be okay.

'He should be," Desolaire said, glowing by him now. There was a strong sense of shame coming from her. 'I don't know how… I would have completely missed it if you hadn't called my name.'

"I am sorry I did not notice the events going on before you called for me," Regirock said. "It seems I have been inactive for a long time."

'Longer than I was, possibly,' Lethe said.

"They seem to have been trying to reach these Heart Crystals," Polaris said to the rock golem. Then he looked to Desolaire. "But the others managed to defeat the demon that had been sealed in Jesefin. Their attacks should relent in coming months. And Master Desolaire, you've been lost to depression for centuries now. It's really tough to pull yourself out of that state. I know that feeling all too well, how you struggle to anything beyond your accustomed routine, and sometimes even with that.

"But I got through it with the help of my friends. It's not going to make anything better if you keep hiding from everyone. You should come out with me, out of this dark place that doesn't suit you." He touched the leaf pendant on his chest. If Rubledge could inhabit it, then surely Desolaire could too. "I'll even keep quiet about you for a few days if you wish. Everyone else is focused on the League Challenge, so it shouldn't be hard."

Another thing about depression that he knew from experience was that it tried to push one away from others, making it even tougher to come out. She struggled with that for a minute. But it seemed that she did want to get better. 'All right… Polaris, right? I used to say things like that before, but you really seem to know it. I should be the one watching out for you but… okay. I don't feel strains of demonic power left around.' Her glow vanished, then appeared over the leaf pendant.

"Nuuuhh?" The boy tensed up, just on the edge of wakening.

Polaris knelt by him and touched his shoulder. "Oh good, I wasn't sure about us carrying him out. Hey, wake up. It's safe now."

He blinked several times, then looked up at him. "Huh? What happened to that weird chick? The one who hit me?" He sat up and looked around.

"She's gone," Polaris said. "We'd better get you out." He checked his tracking device, but noticed that it had an error message displayed. They were out of range of Victory Road's computer system. "Is back that way the only way out?" he asked Regirock.

"There is another path out of this chamber which is shorter," it said, pointing to another tunnel.

"Let's try that; hopefully it'll get us back in range." He helped the boy get up.

"What kind of Pokemon are these guys?" he asked, then stumbled. He was probably dizzy from the look on his face.

I hope this is the right idea, Polaris thought, thinking of distracting him. "Never mind them; one's mine, the others have a job to do. Let's go."

"I shall stay and guard the Heart Crystal," Regirock stated. "I hope for the best for you both."

The Crisiti helped them to a rock panel, which slid out and to the side when Polaris flipped a switch. Lethe followed after them, looking about warily despite Desolaire's words. As the hall they entered was lit, Polaris took his tracking device and set off an emergency signal. It wasn't long before they were warped to the nearest healing station. A nurse met with them. "We'll take care of this," she said. "But my, what happened to you?"

"Some weird smoke and fire chick clobbered me," the boy said.

"He was possessed by a demonic spirit," Polaris told the nurse. "I'm not sure how long he was under her influence, but I got rid of the spirit. We were in a section of tunnel that the system had as unregistered, so we couldn't get help right away."

"Unregistered?"

"They did go off the grid for some time," a security officer said as he approached them. "You may take him." He looked to Polaris. "But I'd like to speak with you about what happened and how you got off the grid."

He nodded. "Right." They discussed what had happened, although Polaris didn't tell the whole truth about how he found Desolaire. He had said he would keep it quiet for now.

At the end of it, the security officer said, "It looks like everything turned out okay, so far. While the Dive passage is new to us, that shouldn't be grounds for disqualification. I'll see to it that everything is clear with the League authorities."

"Okay, thank you."

"What've you got left for the challenge?"

"I'm at 8-4 right now."

"I see. Good luck, then. You're close to the exit now, so I'd recommend finding some more battles so you don't get stuck the last few days."

"Sure thing."

* * *

November 6th, year 59

The Pokecenters here allowed Trainers to order breakfast to their rooms, which Polaris didn't mind taking advantage of. He fed those of his Pokemon that were hungry and checked on Lethe. For about the past month, he'd been letting her sleep while guarding her egg. She liked that and it reportedly helped the baby Pokemon too. But this morning, the Katisp seemed agitated.

It might have been wild Pokemon creeping in here, Polaris thought. He had been warned about that happening deep in the mazes. "What's the matter, Lethe?" he asked, offering her some berries.

Shaking her helmet, she didn't accept them. 'No thanks. I don't know if this is good or bad, but my egg is stirring. It seems like it would hatch soon.'

"Shashira?" Varia asked, creeping closer.

Closing his hand so that he didn't lose the berries, he said, "I'd normally say that was great, but what has you worried about it?"

'Well it would be great,' she admitted, stroking the shell's surface. 'It has a healthy aura. But this is much too soon. I didn't expect it to hatch for another month, maybe two. Nothing seems wrong and it confuses me. Does the Pokeball do something to an egg?'

"I don't think so," he said. "Should we wait here for the egg, or will it be all right in my bag?" He didn't want to put it back in its ball if it was close to hatching.

'It should be fine if,' Lethe started to tell him, but then stared at the egg. It wobbled. 'Well if it's this close, let's stay.'

"Kebo!" Picasso said eagerly, standing up in his chair and peering over. It seemed like he wanted to go over there, but was wary of getting close while Lethe was around.

"Yes, it is exciting, but let's not get too noisy," Polaris said, patting the Smeargle's beret. He considered telling the staff that he might be there for a while longer.

But it seemed the newborn was determined to prove people wrong. When he next looked over, a small blade whipped around the egg from the inside, slicing it in two. Then there was a small Pokemon there, of a golden haze body and a silver blade like its mother. The top half of its shell remained on top of its head for a moment until it pushed that off. Then he noticed that it wasn't the same as Lethe. The blade didn't have the same proportions and the newborn had no helmet at all. It just had a pair of curved horns formed out of a denser material than the rest of its haze. Wasn't that a sign of a male in an adult Katisp?

'That's even odder…' Lethe said as she floated closer to her child. "Shaarusse."

"Zheshra," the baby replied, waving up to her.

"He's different than you," Polaris said, hoping he'd gotten the gender right.

'Yes he is,' she replied, picking him up and letting him huddle near her helmet. 'He's a Mifge. But he shouldn't be. That's only supposed to happen if I was settled somewhere and hadn't fought for a long time.'

That was what Anne Hollows thought would happen, Polaris recalled. Except that the Leader hadn't even known the name of the resulting baby Pokemon. "It might be the incense you're wearing," Polaris said. "Things like that are known to produce unusual child Pokemon."

She tilted her head, making the incense holder shift. 'That could be. Oh, you should of seen the reaction Zen had to it.' She laughed. 'But then, he's a male. I have to have a female heir, and I have to get back to Misaillo soon.'

"Mew…" Jessu said pitifully.

'Yes, we will need to get back to our jobs,' she said, patting her child. 'But I won't have much time to tend to a Mifge then, not one that can't inherit my post.' Lethe came over to Polaris, causing the baby to look at him. 'Would you take care of him for me, Polaris? He shouldn't be on his own for about a year, but he should manage without me fine.'

"Sure, I'd love to," he said, reaching out to the baby. The Mifge touched his fingers and sniffed them, as if figuring out what to make of him. "Do you want to give him a name?"

'I'll consider it. Give him an hour about and he should be floating enough to tag along with me or you.'

* * *

It was the end of the fourth day when Polaris came to a set of stairs with an arching gate. A woman with long lavender hair stood in front of it. "Good evening, challenger," she said with a smile. "Just ahead is the Final Stadium of the Jasper League. May I see your tracker?"

"Sure, but I'm at 9-5," he said, handing her the device. The two battles that he had managed between the events of yesterday and now had been as tough as the Gym battles. They were definitely getting down to the best Trainers of Jasper now.

"I see." She pushed a button, then used a stylus to enter a code. "I have you registered as completing the maze now, but you cannot enter the stadium until you have a record with 10 wins. Once you get one more win, you'll be able to request a Teleport to the stadium healing center." She then handed the tracker back.

"Chura," Verron the Mifge chirped, huddled close to Polari's neck. He had grown considerably over the day, with his blade close to nine inches long now. But it seemed he wouldn't be capable of telepathy until he evolved into a Katisp.

"Okay," Polaris said to the worker, then went back into the tunnels. Varia was also out with him this time. "Looks like we've got another battle or two to find."

"Eedwoo," the Scyllamone said, then continued crawling along the ground beside him. She wasn't being flirty this time, although she occasionally winked at others around them.

After walking around in the last tunnel and fighting off some wild Pokemon, another Trainer came running into the area. It was, interestingly enough, the green haired boy from before. He stopped short when he saw Polaris and Varia. "Oh, it's you."

He smiled. "Hi. How're you doing today?"

"Better than yesterday," he replied, brushing his hand through his hair. "Hey man, thanks… um, I didn't catch your name from the nurse."

"I'm Polaris Starr."

"Ah. Well thanks Mr. Starr. I'm Colby Richards, top student at Graystone Pokemon Academy two years straight. I've heard a bit about you the past couple of months, but not much."

"Oh, well, I'm just an unemployed artist at the moment. Are you looking for a battle?"

Colby grinned. "Yeah! I'm at 9-9 now, so I can't lose."

"I'm at 9-5 and this is the last tunnel, so… we'll see."

"All right, then you're on!" He called out an Electivire, a large yellow battle feline with twin sparking tails. "Go get them!"

"Weh?" Varia asked, leaning her body back so the eye on her chest could make contact with him.

"Set yourself in," he ordered her as he stepped out of the battle's range.

* * *

"Aw man!" Colby said, punching a fist into one hand. "You're not just an artist."

"You did fight well," Polaris said. Still, only two of his were unconscious, with another two injured. Tesla was out with him now. Verron was humming by his ear, seeming pleased with the battle. Perhaps it was due to his Fight type, but he was fascinated by the battles that he had watched today.

"Bad luck this year, huh Colby?" a woman asked. Polaris then noticed that a reporter and cameraman had been recording the battle. How long had they been there? "You've been putting on a good show, but your experience isn't up to par yet."

Polaris talked to the reporter for a little bit, then left Victory Road to climb the staircase up to the final stadium. After he got his team healed, the staff assigned him a room to stay in and gave him access to nearby fields to practice at. Then, they just had to wait until the big day.

…

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Crisiti

**Crisiti**

The Cold Generator Pokemon

Type: Ice/Electric

Ability: Illuminate

Description: Crisiti is a snail; its body is pale blue with white markings. With a hidden mouth, it doesn't have much of a face. However, it has two eyestalks with dark blue eyes. Its large spiral shell is formed from a giant ice crystal, sparkling white with varying degrees of translucency. Inside the shell, one can see an electric yellow glow. If Crisiti happens to be in a dark place, one might even see a spinning shadow of a generator's magnet racing inside the shell.

Notes: Many Trainers will complain about how notorious Crisiti are about escaping from a Pokeball, even the stronger models. They are indeed quite willful, but there is a circumstance that makes them even harder to capture, nearly impossible. If the Crisiti is in a dark tunnel where it is the only light source, it will resist capture with all of its might. This is because the Crisiti see it as their duty to provide light in the darkness. In order to facilitate an easier capture, search for them in lighted tunnels, or outside of them on cold winter days. (A. Wattson)

Key search: Mifge

**Mifge** Katisp

Type: Ghost/Fight

Ability: Guts, Sniper

Description/Notes: The Pokemon Mifge is currently unstudied, as only one specimen has been registered by current technology. It can be gotten by breeding if a female Katisp is wearing a Ceremonial Incense. Further information may not come for some time due to this. (Y. Arboreal)


	32. All Eyes On You

November 8th, year 59

From the Elite Stadium building, there were several paths to the above ground area of Horizon Island. There were three that he was told were restricted access, but those only accounted for a small area of the island. From the guide books, this place had a large variety of Pokemon living wild. And as the Elites and the Gym Leaders trained here, the wild ones were particularly strong and clever. As his Pokemon had decided, Polaris was letting them train themselves up here. He kept an eye on them through his computer, but spent much of his time with Desolaire's spirit.

He thought he might be learning from her, but he ended up showing her things on his computer for over an hour. "Sure, I can get a weather report from anywhere," he said, getting to a global weather network. She had asked about the Pyramid of Imprisonment in the old Dexian tribe territory, which was a long distance south of the Jasper region. "There's satellites in orbit that can check. We could even get photos of the pyramid as it is right now." Finding that structure might be a challenge, as it probably had a different name.

After some searching, he found a place called the Dark Pyramid. It was sunny and close to a hundred degrees Farenheit down there, and the satellite photos show that not many seemed to be living down there. Based on one photo, there might be a group there studying it. 'That would take considerable power to see through scrying,' she said. 'Yet you can do that with only this small device… you humans have gotten quite powerful indeed.'

"Well it's not just the computer," he said. "There's the satellites that I mentioned, as well as the weather network's computers that store a lot of this data and programs for others to access. And I do have to recharge it with power regularly."

'What type of power? It has several to it.'

"Electric."

'That is fascinating.' There was a red glow near his computer, but then she came alert to something. 'Someone's looking for you. Lethe and Verron too.' The glow vanished back into his pendant.

Polaris got up and picked up his bag. "I suppose I'd better find them then." He had settled in a valley with a small stream, as a pretty spot to spend some time. The grasses were still green here, with some autumn flowers holding onto their blooms. Nearby, he saw Picasso taunting some Water Pokemon into fighting him. He could also see Icewin, who was taking a nap near a waterfall's pool.

Since he couldn't see them, Polaris closed his eyes and tried to locate them through his psychic senses. There were a few local Fight Pokemon around… but only two Ghost types out this evening so far. He followed that lead to find Lethe giving some fighting lesson to her son. Verron was swinging his battle knife in spirals around his main body, but it seemed to be not graceful enough for the Katisp's approval.

Not long after he had found them, he spotted Diego coming over towards him. He was accompanied by his Jacafrare and a Claydol. The fiery rabbit was hopping all over the place, so he clearly was much better now. The younger man waved to him. "Hey there, Polaris!"

He smiled and waved back. "Good afternoon, Diego. Your Pokemon look well today."

"Yeah, they're doing great. I even got my Salamence happy with me, finally." He jumped down a ledge, then nodded to him. "Thanks again, and nice to see you around here. From talk around the stadium, seems like there's two more Trainers who have ten wins, but they haven't shown up at the end of the maze yet."

"Really? Well they've got until sunset tomorrow. Did you come looking for me?"

That made Diego laugh. "Actually, yeah, but not for a battle. I let most of mine wander around to find their own fights."

"That's what I'm doing too."

"Nice. Well I got an alert on my Pokedex that an unregistered Pokemon species has shown up and you seem to be its Trainer. Would you mind letting me scan the Mifge's Pokeball?"

He nodded and opened his bag for that one, as his holder only had six slots. "Sure, and I can show him to you." Polaris looked back over to where the two were practicing. "Lethe, mind bringing Verron over for a minute?"

'What is it?' she asked, coming over with her son following curiously behind.

"Diego wants to know about him for the Pokedex project," he explained. He passed over the ball to his friend, who had a bulky-looking computer out on a rock while he had sat down to use it. Bulky looking for this time, Polaris thought, considering the research Pokedex was about the size of a college textbook. It had a Pokeball holder on the side, allowing it to scan that for information on the captured Pokemon, plus a camera, microphone, and a high-quality wireless connector.

The Mifge came closer to Diego, noticed his Pokeball in the machine, then clasped his knife and held it towards the stranger. "Sharr je," he said in a warning tone.

"Oussurren," Lethe said, correcting but not scolding him for doing that.

"He's a friend, Verron," Polaris added.

"Looks like it has the same attitude," Diego said, amused (although Jacafrare watched the young one warily). "Did she give you its species name?"

He nodded. "Lethe also said that he hatched earlier than she expected."

"That's typical," he said. "The ones that you get by breeding with items usually aren't as developed as their parent, so they don't spend as long inside the egg. Ah, here we go." He looked over the information that began filling out on the Pokedex entry page. "Do you know if any of his moves aren't typical? I mean, it's hard to say when we don't have another Mifge around."

'He knows Reversal early,' Lethe pointed out. 'And I don't believe that he should know Fire Punch either.'

"Let me see about that." Diego opened up another page for a reference. "Okay, Reversal is a late skill for Katisp, so both parents probably knew it… and Fire Punch requires a move tutor. Both of them can pass by breeding too, thus it would be the same for Mifge."

Polaris watched the research Pokedex, interested to see one in action. "Do you get called out on research a lot?"

"Not as much as I used to," he said. "When I first got mine, the Jasper League was only a couple of years running; there was very little data available. As people started catching more natives, I was informed repeatedly of Pokemon that needed to be scanned. The worst one was Unicrypt."

"They are shy creatures," Polaris agreed.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so I first noted it on the word of one of the Arkahn people, and then it was three years until I was able to finally catch one myself. There's also more field researchers out there and the kids are usually more eager to catch new Pokemon and add data that way. I've gotten more into training them for long periods, so right now I'm working on data for Selkyrie, Jacafrare, and Fluerdifir."

"Aren't two of those the regional starters?" It would seem strange to still be studying them.

"I've got the oldest Jacafrare in captivity that hasn't been traded," Diego explained. "As for Fluerdifir, only a handful of Trainers with them keep battling them for very long. It's mostly to confirm data and keep track of an individual. Speaking of individuals," he looked up to Verron, who did his best to give a tough guy impression back. "I'd like to scan this guy regularly to keep track of his development, at least until another researcher decides to try breeding one for study. Could we do that weekly, or something like that?"

Polaris nodded. "We could try that."

* * *

November 9th, year 59

It was the night before the Championship battles. Polaris took extra time grooming his Pokemon that evening, talking to them individually. Since tomorrow would be important, he wanted each of them to know that he appreciated their efforts in getting him this far. And, it was nice to be pampered right before a series of tough battles.

He worked on Picasso last. "You've come a long way, buddy," he said as he fixed up the Smeargle's beret hair. "The nurse told me that your records state that you've greatly improved in your behaviors."

He clicked and patted Polaris' leg. Then he pointed to the clock, then the TV.

Pausing, he looked to the latter. "Hmm, I guess it is about time for their Challenger review segment. How'd you gue…?"

"Wooo!" He jumped off the bed and turned the TV on.

Laughing, Polaris grabbed the remote. "Hang on." He switched it to the right channel. "And come back here; I'm not done with you by a long shot."

After the news program jingle, the main anchor began speaking. "Good evening to all of you out in the Sea of Jasper region. This is Alex Travis with our yearly Champions preview show. This year has been an exciting one, with disappointments, hard-earned victories, and surprises all around. With us tonight is renowned battle commentator and Battle Tower official, Len Jowski. Thank you for joining us, Len."

The slender and well-groomed man at the desk nodded. "Sure, it's always great to be here for the Championship runs."

"As with every year, there has been much speculation about which challengers would meet the Victory Road Challenge and who has the best chances at the Championship. A number of favorites failed to meet the qualifications for this year. Joshua Bailey was considered a good one by many, but he has not made the final cut."

"That was a particularly poignant one," Len said. "Joshua ended with a record of 8-2, but could not locate any other challengers in the last three days. He had a good team and a good chance if he had found them."

"The challenge tests all factors, unfortunately including luck," Alex said. "Another one who failed to meet the mark was the youngest competitor Colby Richards, who ended on a record of 9-10. Many people were looking to see him win, especially those back at the Graystone Pokemon Academy."

Len nodded. "Colby was a remarkable young man, and I feel he has a bright future as a Gym Leader. He has a strong grasp of battle theory and strategy. However, his problem seems to have been a lack of practical experience, both for himself and his Pokemon. He could adapt his team to meet preset challenges, like the Gyms, but could not adapt to multi-type teams with flexible strategies. I had predicted that if he did make it to the Elites, he could beat the four of them, but would have trouble against the Champion."

"Yeah, he seemed at a loss when Varia beat his first two Pokemon," Polaris commented, carefully brushing around Picasso's missing left ear. "By type theory, they should have been good counters for a Scyllamone."

"Now one of the Trainers that cleared the first set of challenges readily and was expected to from the get go was Diego Cartwright, who got away with a perfect 10-0 record. Here with Diego's story is Sandra Tawney."

The show then switched to a prerecorded segment about Diego, with the reporter providing a voice over. "Almost ten years ago, Diego Cartwright was picked out by Dr. Arboreal as one of the year's youth researchers for an essay he wrote on observations of wild Wingull flocks. He took the Fire starter Frare and set out on his challenge. He had a rough start to his League career, but unlike most of his peers, he did not give up. Diego set about to learning more about Pokemon, catching and training many types, studying at various Gyms over the summers, and refining his skills over the years.

"After graduating a year early, Diego then went back to the League Challenge with a vengeance. He swept through four early Gyms only to get stuck on the rest. With persistence, he managed to beat the Aetha Normal Gym, then the Lia Saia Rock and Ground Gym. He was able to beat the last two Gyms handily at that point and has been training for six months exclusively to defeat the Elite 4 and the current Champion.

"His easy-going attitude and record of training many Pokemon have earned him a solid following among fans of the Jasper Pokemon League, who have set him as one of the favorites to win the Championship a month before the official challenge began." It then switched to people who spoke in glowing terms of Diego's career. Including a trio of fangirls who spoke loudly and laughed excitedly about their expectations.

"I guess those are the fans he calls kind of scary," Polaris noted.

Picasso blew a raspberry at the TV.

After the segment, Len was asked to speak about Diego. "He's certainly got a very good chance at taking the Elites by storm. Over the years, he has trained many different Pokemon, including all the ones used by the Elites and most used by the current Champion. His knowledge and skill as a Trainer is top notch. He's even been able to get high prices on trained Pokemon just based on his reputation. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I am eager to see his matches."

"And what are his chances of becoming Champion this year?"

"Very high," Len said, patting the table in emphasis. "He is my top pick. The one thing that could hold him back is that his interactions with his Pokemon are a bit distant, save for his Jacafrare starter. It may not seem like much when he has such skill, but things like that have been known to make or break a top Trainer's career."

"That might have changed," Polaris said. "He was out walking with two yesterday, and talks about them a lot in emails."

The news show went to a commercial break, then continued on. "The next contender for the Championship of the Jasper region is Cheryl Chalvris with a 10-7 record. Here with Cheryl's story is Jake Whiting."

"In the battle of the Pokemon Trainer Schools, Aetha City's school has come out on top as its top student Cheryl Chalvris has come out strong in the Victory Road challenges. Starting out with the school's starter of Poliwag, she opted to focus on school studies for the first five years. The tactic paid off as she passed all eight Gyms easily, putting on fantastic showings at each one." It then went into the series of people discussing her. Like Diego's, it included school peers, family members, Gym Leaders, and other Challengers.

"I think we fought her at one point," Polaris noted. "Somewhere on the road. I don't remember exactly, though."

After the segment, the battle expert talked about her. "Cheryl has done a great job in the Gyms and her Pokemon are all well trained. Her grasp on battle theory and Pokemon knowledge is excellent too, and she is a good Trainer to watch. But she may suffer the same problems as Colby and not have enough practical experience. She trained her team to battle the Gyms and put a lot of focus on that, so fighting the Elites may prove too difficult."

"So her standings aren't that good," the anchor Alex said.

"She could surprise us all," Len modified. "But it would be a tough run."

"Eh tai!" Picasso shouted as the channel went to commercials.

"What, were you waiting on them to talk about me?" Polaris asked.

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Well just be patient. Commercials are unavoidable."

When the show came back on, Polaris felt a flutter of nervousness and excitement. He watched this special every year, so to know that they were going to be talking about him, it was hard to believe until they started it. "And the third contender for the Championship this year is the independent Trainer Polaris Starr with a 10-5 record. Here is Lana Laurence with his story."

"Polaris Starr is certainly the most unexpected result of this year's matches," the voice over began, showing a bit of his battles on Victory Road. "Having joined the League officially only a year ago, he quietly passed through the Gyms without much notice until a showing of his fifth win at Ellegyn Poison Gym put him on the radar of the League's loyal followers. He caused a bit of a late uproar on the League message boards when he trumped Colby Richards for his tenth win, and Colby's tenth loss. But as people have looked into his records, Polaris has gathered a respectable following.

"Polaris started out in Lilycove Trainer School of the Hoenn region, with his starter Sudowoodo, but did not join the League of his home region. After moving to Jasper, he was hired by the St. Rosaline Contest Hall as the resident artist, where his vibrant drawings and paintings of Pokemon were loved by many. When the Hall was closed for inquiry into contest rigging, Polaris was cleared of any connection to the scandal and actually was one of the ones who helped to stop the corrupt contests from continuing. He went into the League after the inquiry started and has left quite an impression on those who he has encountered."

It then went into the personal stories. They had talked to Megan, Professor Arboreal, Eve, Diego, Nevin, Shelly, Leroy, and others. Listening to them, Polaris felt greatly encouraged. "Maybe I've been too hard on myself," he said. "Well, at least I didn't think I was the greatest thing ever."

"Koh," Picasso commented, then hugged him.

Polaris smiled and patted him. "Thanks."

Then Len was asked for comments. "I've found Polaris to be a hard one to judge," he said, although a smile was partly on his face. "There aren't many recorded battles with him around. He has a solid grasp on the necessary knowledge, although he is probably less successful in that regards compared to Diego and Cheryl. However, he does have one very strong point, and that is his relations with his Pokemon. People report that he is always seen with his Pokemon around, usually his Smeargle, but the others as well. And due to this, his Pokemon are very devoted to him."

"One of those where the team loves him, so they put forth more effort?" Alex asked.

"Exactly," Len said, pointing at nothing in particular. "You can tell in the video clips of him training his team that they work for him because they want to. And while he has not trained many Pokemon, the ones he has are kinds that I would recommend only to highly skilled and experienced Trainers. Every single one of them, save for the Smeargle possibly. The others are all difficult to catch, difficult to train, difficult to earn loyalty, or any combination of the above."

"He doesn't know you personally, though," Polaris commented, poking Picasso on the head.

The Smeargle laughed.

"That is something I noticed too," Alex said. "So what are his chances in the Champion battles?"

"It's difficult to pin down, but he feel that he is a strong contender. The loyalty and closeness he has with his team give him a definite edge."

* * *

November 10th, year 59

Sometimes the most nerve-wracking moments were the times spent waiting. Waiting in a hospital or Pokecenter and not knowing the fate of one you loved… waiting to hear whether you were accepted or rejected. This was a whole different kind of waiting Polaris found as he worked on eating his breakfast. He had gotten up early, but the Championship battles wouldn't begin for another couple of hours. In his head, he reviewed what he knew of the Elites and what plans he had for them. He felt like he was prepared and ready to go. But, they had to wait.

And since today was a big day, he had to dress for the occasion. Nothing too formal as he would be in the midst of a battle, but something nicer than usual. As he generally avoided wearing a tie unless he absolutely had to, he picked out black pants and a nice shirt that had a pattern of autumn leaves on it. He kept Sienna's leaf-rock pendant out not only in her memory, but because Desolaire was there and didn't mind watching the action. That and making sure he had a good shave this morning, and pulling his orange hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way… it was good, but didn't take up as much time as he thought it would. So there wasn't much more to do than wait.

To make things even worse, the worker he had met earlier had suggested that he keep his team in their Pokeballs. It was apparently to keep a potential opponent in the other Challengers from knowing what team you had. Polaris wasn't too concerned about that. After all, Diego knew his team, and he was fairly certain that he knew Diego's. But there was that girl Cheryl. Not that he had changed his Pokemon enough to keep it from being obvious, he thought. He kept them away, but more because the cafeteria was on the small side and very clean.

Two people entered the cafeteria, breaking up the nervous tedium. One he recognized as Cheryl from the program last night, an older teen with deep red hair. She wore what seemed to be a formal school uniform, a long-sleeved brown jacket covered in patches for Aetha Pokemon Academy, a yellow shirt under that, a brown knee-length skirt with yellow trim, white socks, and well shined brown leather shoes. Since her school had sponsored her journey to get the Gym badges, she must have been required to wear the uniform to all official matches.

The other was one of the stadium staff, wearing the red and white Pokeball badge on his jacket. "Mr. Starr?" he said, coming over to the table.

He nodded. "Yes, what is it?"

The worker pulled out a PDA. "I have a couple of things to clarify with you this morning. First, you specified that your guest would be Megan Briscote. This is her, correct?" He showed a picture of the blue haired woman, with her Ariados as usual. It seemed to be back at the entrance lobby.

"That's her," he confirmed. Since he made it here, he had a few box seats that he could get free tickets for. Any guest he requested would be allowed special privileges, like coming into this area even if he or she wasn't a League participant. Since his family was in a whole different region, he only named Megan as his guest.

Taking it back, he made some commands. "Good, she checked in a few minutes ago; I'll send a note for her to be escorted here before the opening ceremonies. And you have a baby Pokemon with you; what will you be doing with… him?"

Right, he couldn't bring Verron into the stadium itself. "I'm going to leave him with Megan; he wants to watch his mother battle."

The man smiled. "Of course. Also, we've gotten word that there is a watching party set up for you, but all the way over in Hoenn, at the Lilycove Sapphire Sea Sports Bar. They might call you beforehand, but you'll need to be off at a quarter to ten so we can prepare for the opening."

Had his family set that up? He smiled. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind."

"That should do it, then." He then went over to Cheryl to make similar final checks.

For a few minutes, things stayed fairly. But then a noisy group came from down the hall and into the cafeteria. It was Diego, with his brother Stan and their parents. As far as he knew, Eve was here too, but with Professor Arboreal as her assistant. Who else did he know would be out here? It could be any number of people, even some of the more liberal Arkahns. And then there would be all the people watching the live broadcast of it. He had learned that several of his maze battles had been recorded and he had a good number of supporters who didn't really know him. To know that all those people would be watching and critiquing him…

No, that was just going to make him too nervous to act. He would have to focus on his Pokemon, and doing his best for them. Even trusting them in situations they could handle on their own.

And then Megan came in, along with what seemed to be Cheryl's family. He got up to greet and hug her, feeling too self-conscious to kiss her then. "Thanks for coming out," he said.

"It's wonderful to be out here for you," she replied, before they sat down at the table. "How're you doing this morning?"

He smiled with a bit of embarrassment. "I'm nervous, of course. This morning seems to be dragging, like being back in school before a major test."

She patted his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do fine once things get started. And you're Pokemon are great, so they can handle it. Where are they, anyhow?"

"The staff doesn't like them being out for various reasons," he answered, then pulled a Pokeball out and released his Mifge. "I suppose they can excuse an introduction. This is the baby of my team now, Verron. Verron, this is my girlfriend Megan."

On seeing him, Megan chuckled. "He's kind of cute and dangerous looking at the same time. Hello little Verron."

"Goshe?" the little Ghost asked, going closer to her but keeping his knife at ready. But Lethe had always been that way too until she fully trusted him. The bright cafeteria lights made him less defined, more like a yellow blur around a floating silver knife.

"Could you look after him for me today?" Polaris asked. On getting a worried look from the Pokemon, he added, "I would take you into the stadium, Verron, as Lethe said she didn't mind." She had said that it would be a good thing for him to observe a major series of battles of close. But, humans didn't feel the same way. "But the League rules state that I can't bring a hatchling into an official battle, not even a tough guy like you. If you want to watch the rest of us, you're going to have to stay with her and behave yourself."

"I'm fine with that if he's fine with it," she answered, holding her hand up to the Pokemon. "What do you say? I'll tell those sitting by me that you're terribly dangerous and shouldn't be provoked." She said this in a lightly joking tone, not believing that he was really dangerous.

The Mifge's eyes lit up at that, pleased to be taken that way. He nodded, taking hold of one of her fingers for a handshake. "Shuuzuu, shezen."

Polaris laughed a little. "Yes, you have to watch out for these cute ones." Then he passed over the Pokeball.

* * *

It was ten till ten. Polaris had gotten a call from his father; they had indeed set up the Lilycove watching party after telling the bar's owner about him taking the Challenge in Jasper. Since the Hoenn League Championship had taken place a few months back, there wasn't any conflict to it being arranged. It seemed like they had quite a crowd there, including his siblings' families, old school friends he barely remembered, teachers, and even some strangers who were curious to see another region's Championship battles. They would all be rooting for him.

He was with the other two Challengers in a small lobby just outside the stadium itself; their guests had already gone into their special viewing area. There were muffled sounds of the audience out there; one of the staff workers had mentioned this year was a sell-out with all seats taken. Past the hall, the pre-show event was going on. They weren't allowed to see it as it would involve some Pokemon from the Elites' current teams and they weren't supposed to know exactly which ones were in this year's roster.

Due to his empathy power, Polaris could tell that the other two were nervous too, anxious to begin but worried about the battles to come. Cheryl at least looked that way, sitting down with her eyes closed, moving her lips to some internal thoughts and plans. Diego managed to look calm at least, showing interest in the going-ons. Similar to the girl, he was wearing a uniform of black pants, a black jacket with a blue and gray badge for Graystone Pokemon Trainer's School, a blue-gray undershirt, black shoes, and a steel blue cap. But it wasn't the full uniform of the school, as he had already graduated. His cap had a logo for his actual sponsor, a technology firm that made battle items for Pokemon.

A staff worker in a striped suit came up to them. "Good morning, all of you," he said to them. "As we have three of you this year, our schedule will have the first Challenger shortly at ten, the second Challenger at one, and the last at four. If two or all three of you defeat all five rounds, then a tie-breaker match will be held at seven. Are all of you prepared, including items? This is the last chance you have to buy something if you make it quick."

All three of them seemed to be ready. Polaris had made sure to buy plenty of good-quality healing items, even though it had cost a pretty penny to get it all. Fortunately, he was able barter one of his paintings with the clerk. She admitted that was unusual, but gave him a fair deal on it.

"Okay then, we just need to decide on the order then. We'll be fair about it." He pulled a set of three cards out of his pocket and fanned them out. "Take one."

"Deciding like Yvette does, huh?" Diego said jokingly, taking one on the end and looking at it. Polaris took what had been the middle one and flipped it over.

It had '1' on it.

So then, he was first? Granted, the long breaks between matches meant that the Pokemon wouldn't be fully worn down at the end of the day, but he was still facing them at their freshest. Cheryl would be going after him at one while Diego was going last at four.

The man took the cards back as another worker made note of who was going when. "Very well. Mr. Starr, you go ahead into the hall and wait with the security guard. You two should stay on the island, making sure to come in well before your scheduled time. Please note that for today, you are not allowed to watch each others challenges, check the internet for information, or ask about the others' progress from another." That was only enforced by honor, he knew, but Polaris at least would abide by those restrictions.

Before he left, Diego stepped over to him and shook his head. "Good luck, Polaris." Then he winked. "See you at seven, okay?"

He smiled back. "We'll see," he replied. "Good luck to you too." Then he headed on towards the arena. Just a few more minutes and it would be time for what most every human and Pokemon registered in the League looked forward to: the Elite challenge.


	33. The Elite Challenge

With his nerves all a whirl and scrambling all over the emotional scales, Polaris walked through the hall to the stadium itself. He could hear the roar of the crowd as the announcer began to rile them up in excitement. He still felt a residual disbelief that he had actually gotten to this point. Was he going to make a fool out of himself in front of everyone in the region? Was he going to surprise everyone, most of all himself?

A security officer at the end of the hall held up a hand for him to wait a minute, but smiled at him. Polaris smiled back. No, he reminded himself firmly, this wasn't about him. It was his Pokemon, his friends, who were coming into their crowning achievement. Amazing. Even though the four Shrine Maidens had come into the League like the alien organization it was, they had shone brightly and pulled through; along with the Smeargle everyone had thought was crazy beyond help and the Glasyrm who had originally thought it wasn't worthwhile to travel with them. If he could just get more people to realize this…

"And now, please give a warm welcome to the first Challenger of this year's Championship battles, Polaris Starr!"

"Stay in the silver path just ahead of here," the security guard said as he opened the door for him. "You'll go to the center to meet with the Elites and the Champion, then come back to the double ringed circle for the battles. And give it your best."

"Thank you," Polaris said, then entered the stadium.

It had always looked big on television, but he hadn't realized just how big the stadium was. It dwarfed the open air arena of Lia Saia Gym, perhaps large enough to have its own weather systems. The floors appeared to be white glass; a light silver paint, easily seen down here but not from a distance, marked a straight path to the center of the arena. White lights appeared by his path, giving him the attention of the cheering audience. Although this was where important people and Pokemon were tested, it had a knack for making one feel small and unimportant.

On reaching the center of the immense battle field, he was met with the top battle referee of the region, Miles Carollton. He wore a dark blue jacket with the League seal on the left side and carried a computer writing tablet under one arm. With the other, he shook Polaris' hand. "Welcome to the Champion's Stadium, challenger Starr," he said. "And well done in making it this far."

He smiled. "Yes, thank you Mr. Carollton."

He gave a polite nod and brought out his tablet. "Do you have a preferred order for facing the Elites?"

This was kind of a trick question. Sometimes they let a challenger get away with a preferred order. Other times, they reversed the order requested. "I don't," he replied.

"All right, then we'll give you a randomized order." He put in the order with a stylus. There was an electronic whirl from somewhere, but Polaris couldn't see a board that displayed the information. "First, you will be facing… Marina Sheridan!" The far door opened up, but Miles pressed a button on his clip microphone, so he didn't broadcast his next statement. "The stadium will have to shift for this battle and each one in accordance to your opponent's preferences. The floor shakes a bit, but so long as you stay in the silver lines, you'll be safe."

Polaris nodded as the crowd cheer swelled for the incoming Elite. The lights on the floor on the other half of the arena lit up a deep blue as Marina came down the path. Wearing a navy blue dress suit and similar colored high heels, she was elegant yet authoritative. She had loosely curled dark blue hair that came halfway down her back. She carried with her a wooden cane, although it seemed more for the style than any help in walking.

"Good morning, Polaris," she said as they shook hands as well.

"Good morning, Ms. Sheridan," he replied.

"You get some points for politeness, but it doesn't count for much here," she replied with an amused smile. "Are you ready to face the might of the sea?"

"I trust in my Pokemon," he replied.

"Good." She nodded to Miles, then headed back on her path.

Taking the cue, Polaris headed back to the double-ringed circle where he was to be. As he did, the floor began to tremble. He changed his pace to a slightly more cautious one as the white of the glass floor suddenly turned to brown. A gray split appeared at the edge of the silver lines, then the glass there began to recede. With it went the dirt pack that lay under it, some ten feet deep. Then the path he was walking began to descend, coming to a hidden pool of water. He knew for a fact that the pool was forty feet deep, in order to give Water Pokemon plenty of room to maneuver. However, a pale force field appeared around the path where he was walking. They took measures to make sure no one drowned, even with the strong forces at work.

He got to his position as the stadium had finished its transformation into a water arena. The glass path between his space and Marina's remained, as well as several other platforms sitting on top of the pool. As for the referee, Miles had transferred over to a circular gated platform at the side of the arena, above and center so he and his assistants could see over the whole battle area. A small speaker and microphone unit came up from near Polaris' feet, so that he could hear the referee and the audience could hear his commands if they chose to open the right audio channel.

Water. He was rather distant from Marina, so couldn't easily tell what she was calling out first. At the starting signal of a buzzer, he called out Varia, dropping down to kneel at her eye level. "I might not be able to communicate with you well during this match, but I want you to find a good defensive position on a platform and set yourself in. Prioritize drains unless that'll cause trouble. Avoid leaving yourself open. I trust your judgment on this."

"Kooh waah," the Scyllamone chirped. She gave him a pat, then went into the water.

He looked to the other end to see Marina call out a Wailord. The huge creature caused a large wave in displacing the water. As Polaris braced himself for the wave movement of his platform, he saw the Elite Trainer rap on her platform with her cane. That was why she had it; it was a signal to her underwater Pokemon

Towards the center, Varia emerged from the pool and climbed onto one of the platforms. She went into her usual defensive strategy; it worked, and Polaris felt it was good for here. The Wailord swam towards her, but passed by. After a pale blue glow, its wake turned into a massive whirlpool centered on Varia's platform. The force was so strong that the platform flipped itself over.

The Scyllamone wasn't bothered by being dunked underwater, though. She used Giga Drain, causing a green energy to pierce the Wailord and return its energy to her. On the other platform, Marina rapped her cane again. Because the attack was underwater, Polaris couldn't tell what it was. The fragments of ice that popped up indicated some Ice attack. There was another green flash of Giga Drain and the Wailord was defeated.

Don't get cocky, he thought to himself. He knew Wailords, while impressive, weren't the toughest Water Pokemon around. And he knew that Marina had much better ones coming up. Over at her platform, Varia crawled up, keeping her roots firmly gripped to the platform. She decided to stay right at the surface, where she could hear Polaris call or look underwater at her foes.

Next, Marina released an Octillery, a red-orange octopus Pokemon that shot through the water toward Varia. It got a few yards from her position and shot a black blob of ink at her. Varia wiped it away from her chest before using Giga Drain on it. For several more minutes, it kept up with the ink attacks. Polaris noticed that Varia was starting to miss her Giga Drain occasionally. She'd never had a problem with that before. So it must have been that attack.

After some trouble, including a healing from Marina, Varia managed to knock out the Octillery. Marina then released a Talellele, a Pokemon that Polaris had only ever seen used by her. It had the look of a prehistoric monster, with a tower of steel acting as its shell and a muscular greasy looking body coming from underneath. Although it wasn't a fast swimmer, it launched a pulse of water at Varia that still managed to hit her. The Talellele then began making its way to the center of the pool where Varia's platform was.

Polaris checked the active Pokeball and noted that the Scyllamone's health was around half, due to her missing with Giga Drain. But she was going to have a terrible time against the part-Steel Talellele, and she was tied down with Ingrain. Going over to the edge of his platform, Polaris called out to her. "Hunker down and attack when you can! No Poison, favor Water!" All Steel Pokemon were immune to Poison attacks. Water wouldn't do much, but out of all her attacks, those had the best chance of inflicting damage.

Responding with a wave, Varia brought her white tentacles up and ducked her girl-half in them. She took a chance on another Giga Drain, but must have noticed the lack of energy coming back to her. After taking another Water Pulse, she worked on building her defensive strength as the Talellele came closer. When it was ten yards from her, she sent a Surf attack at it as her strongest Water attack. Then it shot forward ramming into her with its steel shell.

It turned out to be a male as Varia managed to coo it into infatuation. "Talellele!" Marina called across the watery battlefield. From the sharp tone, she was either trying to snap him out of it or frustrated because she hadn't wanted it to do a physical attack on Varia.

At any rate, it gave them an advantage. "Do your best, Varia!" he called to her. Even so, it was going to take a while.

And it did. Varia used up eight more rounds of Surf trying to knock out the Talellele while he was lost in infatuation and while she was still having trouble aiming. Sometimes, he came to his senses enough to attack back. With Ingrain's support, the Scyllamone was hanging in there despite his more powerful moves. Then a tenth Surf managed to knock out the Talellele. The crowd cheered wildly, causing Varia to wave up to them. But even at this distance, Polaris could see that she was wearing down.

Marina next released a Lanturn, a chubby and deep blue fish Pokemon with a brightly glowing antenna. Swimming much more quickly than the Talellele, it jumped out of the waves and fired off Ice Beam at Varia. She tried to use Giga Drain, but missed, leaving her open to get knocked out by an underwater Thunderbolt attack.

That was one very dangerous Pokemon, Polaris thought. Running through his options quickly, he called out Picasso. "Use Ground against this one," he said, patting the Smeargle's shoulder.

He gave him a thumbs up signal, then jumped into the water and swam out some distance. The Lanturn swam amazingly fast and tackled into Picasso with some Water energy. Despite the water, Picasso managed to draw his Earthquake symbol. The entire pool shook and sloshed with tremendous noise. But it luckily knocked the Lanturn out in one blow.

Luck. Although Picasso was giving a victory punch to the air, he wasn't quite strong enough to have done that without luck. Still, Polaris wouldn't mention that to him. He watched Marina to see what she would release next.

It was a large brown fish that, while not attractive in a normal sense, had a stony expression and a bony armor. A Relicanth, something Polaris recognized from the Lillycove Aquarium. It was part Rock, right? "Picasso, keep at it until it gets in range of your Ice!" he ordered.

Heading towards a nearby empty platform, the Smeargle fired off another Earthquake, then scrambled out of the water. His fur was darkened, but there were enough natural oils that he didn't look drenched and soggy. But then the Relicanth fired a Water Pulse at him, knocking him off the platform. Picasso got back on and squalled like he was cursing. Then he drew his Ice symbol and fired back with Ice Beam.

Then there was another Earthquake attack, but from the Relicanth. Picasso fumbled, but recovered and used Ice Beam again. Polaris took out a Super Potion and hooked it up to Picasso's Pokeball to heal him. Even though his Pokemon was some distance away, the technology still worked.

But then Marina's Pokemon got lucky and knocked Picasso out with another Earthquake. Polaris called out his Katisp. "Take care of that one," he said. "I think she's got a Scyllamone last, so go all out on her."

'Agreed,' Lethe said, then moved into the water. She knocked out the Relicanth with a fighting move, easily.

As Polaris had guessed, Marina released a Scyllamone as her last. Hers did not go for an Ingrain defensive technique like Varia. Instead, this one used Toxic, then used Surf repeatedly. That was a normal strategy (along with Attract), but it didn't work out this time. Lethe had the Scyllamone out in two blows.

"And the first match goes to Polaris!" the referee Miles called out.

The crowd cheered excitedly as the arena closed off the pool area. Polaris called Lethe back, then waited until the arena floor settled down. On a signal from Miles, he came to the center to meet with Marina again.

"Good job in winning your first match," she said. "But it is only the first; there are more to come."

That was the standard line. "I know," he replied.

"I do commend you for starting off with a Water type of your own," she said with a smile. "You're quite good with your Pokemon." She then bowed, he replied in kind, and she walked off.

Without turning off his microphone, Miles said, "Okay challenger, you have five minutes to refresh your Pokemon, then we'll see who you face next."

He nodded then set about to reviving and healing his three Pokemon. He brought Varia back out in order to give her an Ether to restore the energy she had lost in fighting off the Talellele. "You did a great job there," he said. "I'm proud of you."

She cooed, but it wasn't the flirty one. Just the friendly one. However, he knew that meant she held him in greater respect now. Once the five minutes were up, he recalled her and stood back up.

Miles set his clipboard off again. "And your next challenge on your path to fame and glory will be… Shan Redbird!"

For this theme, the pathway lights turned orange-red. A tall man with his red hair in a long ponytail came into the arena. He offered a handshake, although his face was stoic. "You've got past one match, but you've got a ways to go yet. Are you ready to face the fires of this trial?"

"Yes sir," Polaris replied. It had been a while, but he noticed he looked more formal than he had back in the cabin at Graystone Mountains.

"Then don't back down."

As they went back to their positions, the arena changed again. The glass surface was retracted, leaving the packed dirt for a floor. The platforms that had been available on the pool now lifted into the air at various heights. While it seemed more like a flyer's arena, Polaris knew that Shan excelled here.

He started off again with Varia, but with a different focus. "Be on the offensive this time," he instructed her. "Water primarily."

She nodded and set out again. This time, she was slower as she had to cross ground. That didn't matter much as Shan's first Pokemon, a round and almost avian Magmortar, crossed the arena quickly once given its initial instructions. It leapt into the air and smashed the ground as it landed, causing a section of the dirt near Varia to turn into lava and burst up at her. She squealed in alarm; her status screen showed that she had been burned. However, she soon called on the water beneath the arena to rise up and cause Surf to strike the Magmortar. Another two Surfs took down the Magmortar.

While Shan was calling out his next Pokemon, Polaris took the chance to use a Burn Heal on Varia's ball. He then saw that the Elite had brought out a Jacafrare, who was bounding across the arena using the platforms to make playful spins. "Keep at it," Polaris called.

Varia got in another Surf, but then the Jacafrare knocked her silly with a fiery punch. Although she was still going, Polaris recalled her in exchange for Tesla. "Use your strength against them."

The Garchomp darted out towards the antlered rabbit, but then pounded the ground to cause an Earthquake. That knocked the Jacafrare right out. Then, Shan called out a Whirpyre, a blazing comet-like Pokemon with a sly face.

If he remembered right, that one was part-Ghost, and could levitate. "Your other strength!" he called to Tesla.

She nodded in affirmation, then lashed out with her claws with draconic strength when she met the Whirpyre. It hissed and put some curse on her claws. Was it Spite, a move that made using the previous move painful? It must have been, since Tesla jumped back and crouched low to the ground before unleashing a vibrant Dragonbreath attack. That knocked out the Whirpyre.

Shan then brought out a Fleurdifir and had it use Energy Ball instead of a Fire attack. That was legal so long as the Elite's team was based around the primary element; it was a counter for counters, after all. "Down!" Polaris called, and she used Dig immediately to avoid the sparkling plant energy. Although the tall flower Pokemon moved away, Tesla still followed and came up to attack from underneath.

The Fleurdifir then caused a shower of embers to shoot from its large fire flower. Tesla got burned by that attack, but she pounded the ground for Earthquake and knocked it out. While Polaris healed that burn, Shan called out his next Pokemon, a Charizard. He gave it some orders, causing the winged psudo-dragon to slash at Tesla with its claws. Although the combatant Pokemon were a good distance away, Polaris realized that this Charizard had Dragon Claw, which would strike his Garchomp hard.

Not only that, but as it kept itself aloft, her Ground attacks would not hit it. Any attacks she made would have a hard time hitting it, as she didn't like leaving the ground for any reason. Polaris decided to take a risk. Recalling Tesla, he released Icewin, who came out with a loud roar. A strong Fire attack could take him down, but then a strong Ice attack could take the Charizard down. "Give it your best with ice," he ordered.

The Glasyrm looked pleased with the challenge and whipped around the platforms to blast the Charizard with a flurry of Blizzard. As Polaris had hoped for, it knocked out Shan's fifth Pokemon. So he was stuck with his last. It could be good or bad for him as a challenger, though.

Shan didn't show any hesitation as he called out a Salamence. "Give it a good reminder," he called into the arena.

As the two Dragons faced off, Polaris tightened his grip. This match up could go either way. If Icewin failed, though, he felt certain that the others could take him out. "Go with the same!" he called.

The Salamence growled and sent up a burst of lava, like the Magmortor had. His Glasyrm countered with his flurry of Ice crystals. Despite the blur of red and white across the arena, it seemed that both Dragons had avoided taking much damage from the attacks. When they tried again, Icewin managed to connect his attack, taking out the Salamence in one solid hit.

When it became clear that this round was over, Icewin gave a pleased roar that temporarily drowned out the crowd's cheers. The audience laughed and cheered louder in response. Chuckling, Polaris left him out and patted his Dragon on the snout before coming into the center to meet with Shan and Miles again.

The Elite was smiling. "Well, I can't think of another time I've been defeated with an Ice Pokemon. You've trained yours very well."

"I'm proud of them, no matter how this all turns out," Polaris replied.

"That's the way to do it." He then gave a nod of approval and left.

After another five minute healing break, Polaris recalled Icewin and waited on the referee. "And your third opponent of your challenge will be… Adam Wattson!"

As the lights of the path turned bright yellow, he felt a bit relieved. He expected this to go the easiest of the five matches. It might have been slightly better to face Adam fourth, as a break before the very tough Champion match. At least this should get him further along.

Adam was the youngest of the Elite 4, not much older than Polaris himself. He had been one of those prodigy Trainers who managed to get far in his very first year. On the short side, he had pale blond hair and a short well-kept beard. His green eyes were dark in contrast.

And Adam gave him a big grin as they shook hands. "Ah, Polaris, I've heard of you. Another Hoenn transplant."

He nodded. "That's right."

"Good, maybe we can talk later. But for now… well, I take after my grandfather, or so I'm told. I know the family traditions, which will knock you clear out of this competition. Are you ready?"

"My Pokemon and I are," he replied, suppressing a cocky smile. Even if he thought this would be easy, better not be too confident.

"Right then, let's see some energy!" They then split up to their places.

The floor shifted back to a dirt pack, but the platforms had been withdrawn to the sides instead of placed within the air. Once the battle was started, Polaris summoned Jessu. "This is going to be dangerous for you," he told her, "but get a good offensive bless pass running in a few rounds."

"Mew!" the Kuni replied. She started using Double Team as she flitted away from Polaris, keeping him out of range of their opponent's attacks. In the enormous arena, she was little more than a speck.

At the other end of the field, Adam had called out an Electrivire. After a puzzled moment, the Elite sent his Pokemon out to use his Electric attacks to flush out the hidden Pokemon. The Electrivire sent large sprawling webs of sparks across the arena as it darted around, trying to find Jessu. But she kept up work on her blessings, using Swords Dance and Focus.

After the right timing had passed, Polaris called out, "Jessu, pass!" He had her Pokeball in one hand while he picked out another in his other. There was a bright glow as she used Baton Pass to return to her Pokeball. Tesla then came out, briefly glowing with her teammate's accumulated blessings. "Tesla, time to sprint!"

She knew that was his signal to take opponents out quickly, however she had to do it. She spotted the Electrivire some distance away; it looked relieved to finally have a target it could see. After taking a short dash to put some distance between her and Polaris, Tesla unleashed Earthquake on it. It was out immediately.

As was the Magnezone that came out next, despite Adam's call for it to use Magnet Rise. The Elite then called out a Stratosteer, the final evolution of the lightning calf Drizzy. The large bulky Pokemon was like a cross between a Tauros and a black thunderhead cloud. After enduring a boosted Earthquake, it shot a burst of Hydro Pump at Tesla. It connected, but Tesla also endured, enough to knock it out with another Earthquake.

Unfortunately for Adam, that was his best counter to a Ground Pokemon. The other half of his Pokemon, the Crisiti (close, but just too slow), the Jolteon, and the Ampharos, all excellently trained Pokemon, nevertheless fell to Tesla's Earthquakes.

The crowd cheered wildly as they came back to the center. "My goodness, so that's what it's like to be creamed," Adam said, much to the entertainment of the crowd. "But it ain't over yet. Don't make me look bad by getting creamed by the last one of us."

Although he didn't have much to do, Polaris took the break to give Tesla a Super Potion and an Ether. "We're doing well so far," he said quietly to her.

"Krrrei," the Garchomp said softly, nudging his head in an affectionate way.

"Thanks."

When Miles came back, he had a smile on. "All right then, Polaris, you've got three down and two more to go. Your next opponent will be," he gave a dramatic pause even though it wasn't necessary, "Yuna Nocturne!"

The pathway lights went dark blue as Yuna entered the arena. From his days in the Contest Hall, he recognized her as an equally good Coordinator. She saw no difference between Contests and this tournament, so she was wearing a silver dress with a large white hat decorated with fancy black feathers. When Polaris had been a kid, Yuna had been a major movie starlet. Although she had grown older, she still led a successful life.

She offered a white gloved hand for the usual handshake. "Well done, young man, to have gotten through three of us on your first year here. But you may find that your lucky streak ends here. You will have to prove your skill as a Pokemon Trainer now, for me and my team are not to be underestimated."

"We'll give it our best," Polaris said.

"Good, then let's have a grand dramatic battle."

As they walked back to their places, Polaris knew that she wasn't kidding. Her Pokemon weren't the most powerful around, but they were sly. If he let them set up, it would be like the last battle, only reversed. A string of seemingly pointless moves could build up to a strong thrashing. So he had to be fast and aggressive here.

When the battle started, Polaris immediately summoned Lethe. "Her Pokemon are known for being aggressive Pursuit users," he told her. And since he couldn't use revival items in battle, "Power up once, but then knock them down quickly before they can power up too much."

'Agreed.' The Katisp went out into the arena, back to the elevated platforms and packed dirt set up. She whirled her blade around her body as she did, focusing her strength and energy. In this manner, she met with her approaching opponent, a brown and green Shiftry. She had to dodge a sparkling ball. Polaris recognized it as part of Yuna's regular strategy. Lethe then slashed the Shiftry, knocking it out cleanly.

Yuna then brought out her Honchcrow. That would be a tough one. Flying over most of the platforms, it tried to hit Lethe with a black mass. She was able to dispel it thankfully, as it might have affected her aim otherwise. "Straight attack!" Yuna called.

To that, the Honchcrow fired a black ball of energy that struck Lethe hard. She remained conscious and struck to dark bird, knocking it out. Thinking, Polaris called out, "Will you take revenge?" It was a strategy he wanted to make sure she was okay with using.

'Yes,' she replied, sending the message only to him.

"Then take it."

She knew Reversal, which used her own pain to inflict equal pain to her opponents. That followed by a quick moving strike was enough to take down a Houndoom, and the Mightyena that followed it. The crowd cheered wildly, although Polaris knew it could still turn around in the last two.

Yuna next released a Weavile. The decorated Pokemon shot across the arena in a blink and knocked out Lethe. Right, this was going to be the hard one. Polaris thought for a second, then called out Icewin. "Brag about it, then show your strength."

Grinning, the Glasyrm let out Dragon Roar. The arena went silent for a beat, as most of the audience wasn't expecting that. The Weavile winced at the weakening curse added to the roar, then rushed onward to attack. Slithering away from Polaris, Icewin used Dragonbreath. That and a lucky biting attack knocked out the Weavile, leaving Icewin in decent health to face the last Pokemon.

It was a Stellacon, a tall bird Pokemon with long airy black feathers. Small silver spots speckled all over its body, especially in its long gown of a tail. Apparently, those feathers were what Yuna had in her hat. But the presence of feathers betrayed its part-Flying type. Polaris knew Icewin could strike it hard, but he wanted to make sure the strike connected. "Strike with certainty!" he called out.

As the Stellacon sent a confusing flurry of black feathers at Icewin, the Glasyrm fired off an Ice Beam into the air after it. Both attacks connected. Worried for his Pokemon, Polaris watched the Dragon. His eyes still made clear contact with the Stellacon as he prepared another Ice Beam. Following Yuna's orders, it used Dark Pulse. Icewin used his attack and knocked the Stellacon out.

Polaris realized he had been holding his breath. She was right, he needed skill. But a little luck helped. He took a deep breath, then smiled and waved to the wildly cheering crowd. Once again, Icewin roared happily.

He came back to the center to meet with Yuna. At least they made sure the Trainers got a good workout too in this match, he thought. It made things fairer.

"Well done," Yuna said gracefully. "You and your Pokemon make a good team. Very few Trainers make it this far, so congratulations to you and your Pokemon." She paused as a cheer came from the crowd. "And now you will face your ultimate competition, the League Champion. You had all best be ready for this."

"Thanks, we'll do our best," Polaris said.

…

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Talellele

Shishele (revive Shiny Fossil) - **Talellele**

Type: Steel/Water

Ability: Intimidate

Description: It has a silvery shell that is formed like a tower, It has growth rings of varying widths going upward; occasional dips show old dents. At the bottom of this tower shell is the body, a muscular blob with two steel pincers, both the same size. It now has a steel jaw/maw which, with its angry looking eyes, makes it a scary kind of Pokemon

Notes: Talellele can maneuver excellently when underwater, but becomes very awkward when on land. As the shell will continually grow on top of its shell, particularly old individuals who haven't lost part of their shell in battle will have a difficult time supporting its weight out of water. Keep them off of dry land as much as possible. And like with Shishele, be careful when reaching near its claws; this primitive Pokemon will clip off your fingers and not regret it. (M. Sheridan)

Key Search: Fleurdifir

Petifleur - Fleurmber - **Fleurdifir**

Type: Grass/Fire

Ability: Overgrow

Description: The dark brown nut head/body is same, grown to same proportion. It has only two medium green leaves below it now, but they're broad and shaped like gingko leaves. Its three vines are now tipped with fire. The bulb on top of its head has opened up into a large fiery flower of orange and red, similar to a dahlia.

Notes: Fleudifir is usually a laid back Pokemon and many individuals are not inclined to battle. Instead, they normally use their flames to frighten off others who might fight them, as they are natural to Grass-type favored areas. If you've trained it since it was a Petifleur, it should have no issue with battling aside from occasional lazy sunny days. Its flower is highly flammable, but don't worry if it does catch on fire; the Pokemon can withstand its own power now and control it enough to prevent accidental fires. (S. Redbird)

Key Search: Stratosteer

Drizzy - Cirrow - **Stratosteer**

Type: Water/Electric

Ability: Torrent

Description: Like a long-horned steer crossed with an anvil head cloud. Its cloudy body is dark blue to black, with sparks of electricity showing within. The males have a medium blue head also like a long-horned steer; females are similar, but with half-length horns. Keeps the cow tail, but now has a spark-emitting bulb at the end.

Notes: Stratosteer are tough, stoic, and brave. They usually don't get angry enough to be reckless, although both males and females can go on a devastating rampage when pushed far enough. For use in battle, their strong point is their physical strength and weak point is most often their moderate-low speed. Focusing their training on either will help, but not both. Stratosteer can learn Surf, but it is highly recommended that you don't actually use the move's field use with one; their Electric powers can shock nearby swimmers and Water Pokemon alike. (A. Wattson)

Key Search: Stellacon

**Stellacon**

Type: Dark/Flying

Ability: Guts, Vanity (If stats are lowered, Special Attack rises)

Description: It is a tall bird with thin very dark gray legs, a thin neck, and rounded compact body. It has a small head with large yellow eyes, an ash gray narrow beak (of a type that would eat insects and seeds), and a crest of curling black feathers. For feathers, Stellacon has two layers. The undercoat is downy small feathers that stick close to the body, while the overcoat is showy black feathers with tiny reflective white spots. These feathers are long and soft, popular in the fashion world. Their tail feathers are especially prized, for being exceptionally long, loosely flowing, and tipped with large silvery eyespots.

Notes: Stellacons are fussy divas, disliking to come out in any state of disarray. They are sore losers prone to blaming others, so when being used in a team, make certain to keep an eye on your Stellacon after a loss so it doesn't pick fights. In a similar manner, they are willing to fight tooth and claw against opponents so that they don't lose, even if the opponent has the advantage. If you plan on using one for a Contest, you may wish to tone down its aggressive qualities. (Y. Nocturne)


	34. Duel of Equals

November 10th, year 59

Champion Stadium, Horizon Island

He was given another five minutes, so he healed up all of his Pokemon in preparation. The Champion would be the hardest, because that position was not restricted to certain types. Although he had a strategy, it was based off last year's battles. She might have changed her team roster.

After the break was over, the crowd was cheering, whistling, and applauding in excitement. Polaris tried to block it out, but there was no mistake; he was the center of attention now. People all over the region would be watching, critiquing his choices, cheering for him, or putting him down. Did they realize that it was the Pokemon who should be the stars, the center of attention? But if he was going to support his team the best he could, he had to put everything else out of mind.

Miles raised his hand up, getting the audience to calm down some. "Ladies, gentleman, and Pokemon, our first Challenger of the day has made it all the way to the Champion herself! So let's welcome back Miss Camilla Thessalan!"

The cheers increased once again as the pathway lights turned a golden color. The Sun Knight Camilla came down the pathway. Wearing a traditional orange dress with a bright sun pattern, she looked beautiful yet strong. When they shook hands, she said, "I welcome you with warm greetings of the sun and moon."

"I return warm greetings of the sun and moon," Polaris replied. He'd learned that particular greeting from Jepheth.

She gave him a nod and a small smile. "You have made a great effort to get to this point in a comparatively short amount of time. Yet you always show respect and honor when it comes to your Pokemon, even acknowledging their efforts ahead of your own. This earns you my respect and honor. Yet because of that, I will not show restraint in this. My Pokemon and I will test you and your Pokemon to your limits. You had best not falter now."

"All right," he said, although his words felt at a disconnect with his feelings. Even knowing that she was on his side in the end, Camilla could still intimidate him. At least in this match, she couldn't join in. He didn't think her Scyther and Scizor masters could either. At least, he hadn't seen her use them in a League official battle before.

As he walked back to his place, he noticed the arena shift to something like a sandy desert. Brown rock formations were teleported in and the air shifted to being dry and warm. It made sense, given that her masters had come from a landscape like that.

Given he was a big fan of watching the Championship battles, Polaris knew how Camilla liked to start. She had two Pokemon that were primarily there to set up the other four members. Once she finished with those two, the rest would sweep through the Challenger's team handily. So if he could knock those two out quickly, she'd lose her usual upper hand. He picked the member of his team that could take on either of them, Tesla.

Looking over, he saw that she had called out a steel Pokemon, shaped like a pinecone. That was the harder of the pair. "Get over there fast and flame it," Polaris ordered. He crossed his fingers. It knew Stealth Rock, and if it threw that out, he couldn't get rid of the trap without calling out Varia. And she would have trouble against most of Camilla's Pokemon.

It pulled up that trap, setting floating rocks up around the stadium. Tesla used Flamethrower against the Forretress, but it barely managed to hold on. Fortunately, she noticed and quickly lashed out at it to keep Camilla from healing it.

Camilla decided to counter by calling on her Kingdra. Not a good start for him. Polaris called for Tesla to use a Dragon typed move; she responded with Dragon Claw, striking across the Kingdra's chest. It replied with a particularly bright Ice Beam. She stayed alert, enough time for him to use a Hyper Potion on her Pokeball and Tesla to claw strike again. But it seemed Camilla had healed her Pokemon as well. The two Dragons exchanged hits for several rounds before the Kingdra knocked out Tesla.

'Don't panic,' he reminded himself. He had to stay collected in order to give his team the chance. He brought out Jessu; thankfully, she dodged being struck too hard by the incoming Stealth Rock shrapnel. "Hit hard and fast," he told her. It wasn't an order he gave her often.

But she knew it from watching the others, enough that she slammed the Kingdra from clear across the field with Aerial Ace, finally knocking it out. Camilla then called on a Pokemon that was a faint white image of a horned goat. That was Unicrypt, he remembered. It was her other set-up Pokemon. But Jessu had already moved further into the stadium and he couldn't see her.

He brought up Lethe's Pokeball. "Lethe, inform her to attack boost once while getting close to her foe, then passing to you on the spot. Shade Blade it immediately."

'I have told her,' Lethe replied telepathically. After the swap, she appeared midway on Camilla's side and struck the Unicrypt with her blade as Jessu's blessing came over her. And as Stealth Rock came right at her. A silvery shield appeared around the Psychic Pokemon, but the blade passed right through it and knocked out the Unicrypt.

For a moment, Camilla paused. Had he gotten her into a fix now? She then brought out a large deep violet Bug Pokemon with stingers on its tail and two head horns. A Drapion. He only knew the name from watching these matches, and he couldn't think of what kind of Pokemon it was. He spoke to the Katisp's ball again, hoping to reach her senses. "Knock down that shield."

'It will not do much to the creature itself,' she said, but went ahead and used her skill to shatter the shield.

"Okay, then take it down now," he ordered, letting her decide on how to attack the Drapion.

She lashed out with her blade, but the creature blocked her with its right horn. They clashed for a while in this manner. Keeping an eye on her health, Polaris healed her as he could. He was running low on his healing items. But this was the last fight. They could push on. In this match, Lethe won.

And then she got immediately knocked out before Polaris could think to heal her, by a rocky and bristly Pokemon with enormous blocky fists and feet, despite being the size of a small child. That was Atlatle having used Shade Blade back on her. But that was the one that Varia could handle. He brought her out. "Get those rocks away and give it your best water attack."

"Kooh," she replied and flipped the rocks flying at her into the ones remaining, to get rid of that trap at last. Then she sent Surf to the other end of the stadium. However, it endured the hit, then used Reversal as it crossed the stadium. Immediately after, it launched over with a punch at great speed, far faster than Polaris had thought it could move. The Atlatle grunted and gave him a vain grin.

Don't lost control. He called out Icewin. "Strike fast!" he called. It wasn't quite fast enough, as the Atlatle got off another Reversal, only to fall to Ice Beam. Polaris then healed Icewin up with his last Hyper Potion.

By then, Camilla had released her last Pokemon, a metallic bird with a tall body. The Skarmory came out flying, but slammed into the ground to create an Earthquake. Polaris was shaken a bit with surprise and Icewin roared in indignation.

"Keep going," Polaris said.

Icewin then used another Ice Beam. He got hit by another Earthquake. However a second Ice Beam knocked out the Skarmory.

They had defeated Camilla? Polaris put his hand to his head, a little light-headed. Maybe he was just thirsty. Or it was all overwhelming excitement. The lightness turned to giddiness just as Icewin let loose a roar of triumph once again, to the delight of the crowd.

At a nudge from his Dragon's tail, Polaris went back to the center of the stadium one last time. The lights along his path changed from white to gold. The audience was all on their feet, clapping and cheering for him and his team. When he got to the center circle with Miles and Camilla, he had managed to bolster the happy side by grinning.

"And our first challenger of the season is a winner! Let's hear it for Polaris Starr and his Pokemon team!" Miles took his hand and raised it in a celebratory gesture.

That caused more cheers, whistles, and clapping. And another roar from Icewin, so Polaris patted him on the side, to his pleasure.

"That was a magnificent battle, from all of you," Camilla said, smiling in acknowledgment. "It was a worthy victory."

"Thank you," Polaris said. Then he gave a sheepish shrug. "I'm not sure what to say."

This got some laughs from the crowd. "Better so say nothing than to say something poor," Camilla said, covering for his public speaking anxiety nicely. "But there are two other Challengers for today and things could change. At the end of the day, we shall celebrate your victory fully. But, there may be another winner, and another battle for you."

"We'll do our best if it comes to that," he said. "As always."

"For now, let's have one last round of applause for this new Champion!" Miles called, getting another surge of applause from the audience.

* * *

Polaris opened a can of lemonade as he stood by the Nurse's station, waiting on his Pokemon to be healed. Since this desk's only business was taking care of the Challengers who made it to the stadium, he was in the middle of his first sip when she handed the six Pokeballs back. "Here you go, Mr. Starr. Congratulations on your win."

He swallowed, then nodded and put down the can to set the balls back in place. "Thanks."

"Our staff is moving your things to the Champion suite. You need to go there before the next two challengers get back. You're not to speak to them for the rest of the day, so no information about this year's line-up is given to them."

"Right, okay. Where is that?"

She pointed to an elevator. "Go up to the fifth floor; you'll need to swipe your ID card in order to get up there. One of the staff should be there to show you which suite you're in."

"Which suite?"

"We keep four on hand, one for the reigning Champion and three others in case of multiple winners. Oh, and one more thing. We'll call you if anyone wants to visit, but is there anyone we should allow to visit you without checking?"

"Yes, Megan Briscote. She's my girlfriend."

After confirming the spelling of her name and checking a photo, he went up to the fifth floor as instructed. A maid met him at the elevator and brought him a long ways down the hall (even with the conveyor walkway) to Suite 503. "We seem to have gotten everything that was in your previous room, but inform us if anything was missed."

"Thanks, I will." He had put everything away in his computer or travel bag anyhow, so there wasn't much chance of having lost something.

"There's a list of stadium contacts in a booklet near the phone, including shortcuts you may use now. Please call us for anything you may need."

He nodded, then was left to look around the suite. The first room was very large and open, with a sunken circular sofa in the center. Noticing that this living space was large enough, he released all six of his Pokemon. Even Icewin could find the space to curl around the walls, while leaving enough room to fit everyone and then some comfortably. "Thank you so much, all of you. We've won the Championship."

There was quite a lot of excitement and cheer to that, as the Pokemon chatted amongst each other. Picasso hugged Polaris gleefully, then began jumping on the couch (which Polaris had to gently decline, despite it making him smile). The four Maidens seemed pleased to have proved their dedication and training, even after having slept for so long. And Icewin just lounged there and grinned at everyone, restraining himself on the roaring.

Not long after that, the maid came back in with Megan, Greeble, and Verron. The Mifge immediately went over to his mother, greeting her with a sign of respect. "You guys were magnificent," Megan said, but hugged Polaris first thing. "That was amazing."

"Yeah, I know," Polaris said. He looked around at the eight Pokemon, then said, "Anybody want to order lunch now?"

That got complete approval. He called up the kitchen and organized meals for the nine of them. Then they shared a great meal.

* * *

That afternoon was unlike any other that he had been through. Towards the end of lunch, he got a call from his family and the people who had been watching in Lilycove. That turned into a conversation lasting nearly two hours, chatting with his family and other people he knew, including his old art teacher Mr. Ibsen. In that talk, he realized how much he had changed since those days in Hoenn. He had personally witnessed how strong the powers of Pokemon could be, and had been frightened of it. Now he was working with legendary Pokemon of equal power, maybe even becoming friends with them. And he was a Pokemon Champion, something he had seen as unrealistic before.

He even quietly hoped that one of the other two would win as well. This win was more his Pokemons' doing and he couldn't really hold the position past today. But people would be more willing to listen to him, and he had a lot he wanted to get said now.

Over his journey, he had seen that humans did love and respect Pokemon. But they could do more. Humans and Pokemon could learn a lot from each other, but the former needed to be more willing to listen, both to their Pokemon and to each other. Over the past decade or so, there had been a lot of tension, even violence, because the Arkahn people weren't willing to accept other ways of life. Like when he had been taken hostage by the sailors. It wasn't really necessary and they had to learn to stop looking back to the past so much. Times had changed, and those who did not change would be left behind, left as a dying culture. The Arkahn people could pull themselves out that state, he believed.

But the immigrant outsiders like himself would benefit from learning what those old ways were. They could be helped to improve if they paid more attention to history and gave value to things beyond money. Like with Mr. Jacobs holding onto an Arkahna site (perhaps several more) just as a source of income. He didn't really care about the broken legendary that had been locked down there. If people listened closer to the Pokemon, they would learn that they were deeper beings than they appeared.

Even those that seemed to care about Pokemon could learn more about them. Like Diego, who had spent so many years capturing and training a wide variety of Pokemon, but only ever felt close to one. How did those other Pokemon he had used feel about him? Would learning to care more deeply for a team of Pokemon truly make them perform better than just training them according to science? It was hard to tell, as Polaris himself had not fully trained any of his Pokemon and Diego had only recently come to realize that he had more to learn. Perhaps they could find out with Verron the Mifge, and if Diego decided to try training a new team from scratch by learning to love them and then teaching them.

And perhaps he could use his own life as an example that people needed to be willing to test themselves and push towards a better life. Polaris could readily remember the Hall of Sorrow, where he was forced to acknowledge things that had been holding him back, both from himself and from an outside force. Even without that particular incident, just going out and seeing the region for himself had changed him. If he had stayed behind in St. Rosaline, he might have gotten more art done, but it was likely that he would have been stuck in the same rut.

On thinking through that, Polaris often wanted to call out Desolaire and speak with her. He still needed to know what she and Lunarium wanted him to tell people. They were ancient beings and even if they had slept for the past thousand years or so, they should know many things. And yet, the sun goddess was still trying to pull out of her own rut, so he might end up helping her just as much.

He was also quite busy that day and didn't have time to call her out. Or the solitude. After he'd gotten off the phone with his family, he found out that Megan had managed to dissuade reporters from talking to him until he was done. He'd only gotten a few minutes to speak with her before they came back again to ask for interviews. Many people wanted to talk to him now, reporters, League officials, potential sponsors, some of the Arkahn people, a group of fans that had asked to meet him… it was all overwhelming, but Megan and Picasso stayed by his side throughout this. The Smeargle helped by drawing attention with his expressive antics and reactions, while Megan helped him find what he wanted to say to them by participating in the interviews too.

Although he wasn't supposed to, he heard that the girl Cheryl had failed in her challenge. She had beaten Shan, Marina, and Yuna, but had been quickly dispatched by Adam. But even by six-thirty, he hadn't heard how Diego had done yet.

* * *

It was a quarter to seven when the stadium staff came to his suite. "Are your Pokemon in good shape?" the man asked. "You need to be ready and down at the stadium in fifteen minutes, so you have one last chance to shop in the lobby."

From that, Polaris could make a guess as to what was going on. He glanced at his Pokemon, who looked to be well. "We should be good," he said as he started recalling the six of them.

"Ms. Briscote, you'd best return to the stadium box please," he added. "This could take some time."

She nodded. "All right. Come on Greeble, Verron." Then she gave him a light kiss. "Good luck."

Back down the long hallway, they came to the elevator and found another worker standing there with Diego. The black haired young man grinned as he shook hands with Polaris. "Hey man, what'd I tell you? Looks like it is the two of us for this match."

He smiled back and nodded. "Yeah. It was close for me, though. Camilla was pretty tough."

"She is. Marina gave me a close battle, but I expected that."

"You two know each other, then?" one of the workers asked, looking interested. Maybe they wanted to make things extra dramatic.

"We met each other on the road often this past year," Diego said. "And we helped each other quite a lot."

"We've gotten to be friends lately," Polaris added. Remembering, he said, "And he did tell me once that he'd battle me when I got up to his level. We did once, but that was just a one Pokemon duel."

"Yeah, this is going to be interesting."

The staff worker nodded. "I see." Then he pulled out a computer tablet. "Well as you figured out, you both defeated all five battles of the Championship Challenge. In order to determine who will be serving as next year's Champion, the two of you will battle it out. So we need to decide how this battle will be arranged."

"Actually," Polaris said, interrupting by holding up his hand, "I'm afraid that I won't be able to serve as next year's Champion. I'm fine with letting Diego handle it."

"Why's that?" his friend asked. The workers looked equally puzzled.

He still had a few things to arrange, so he answered with, "There's several reasons, one of which is that I've accepted a high level position in the Arkahna Church, likely the first outsider they're allowing to do that. I'm afraid that's going to take up a lot of my time and I won't be able to keep up with battle training as much. I'd still like to go through with this battle, though, as a couple of my Pokemon would be insulted if I declined it. And they'd be especially insulted if I didn't put forth full effort in leading them, so we're not about to go easy on you."

That made Diego grin. "That's good. I'll have to really be on top of the game to make certain that we deserve the position, even with you willing to pass it down to me." He took the tablet and began looking over things.

"Finish what you start, is that it?" one of the workers said.

The other stepped back behind Diego. "The stadium has more arrangements then those you've seen, and we'll allow most styles of battle for this match. But it must be a full team match, not a duel. The two of you should decide on the factors before we go in." There was a ding from the elevator.

Diego was still absorbed in looking over the tablet, but walked in along with the other three. On the way down, he handed it to Polaris. "I like that Modern Arena; nice arrangement and the main drawback is that Dig won't work."

Skimming over the arrangements, Polaris saw the five arena styles he had fought in. All of them were marked with a star. There were several others, including an open air arena where the ground part was pulled away, but the pool was uncovered and the walkways remained at normal level. As for the one suggested, the Modern Arena would bring in a tiled floor. Various steel structures would appear, mostly around the edges, but a few support beams would appear above them. It would be somewhat like fighting within a building.

"That is good," Polaris agreed, handing the tablet back to the worker.

"Then the Modern Arena is your agreed choice?" When they both nodded, he looked to Polaris. "Then how about you suggest a battle style?"

For a moment, he nearly went with the usual Singles. But then an idea came to him. "Would Doubles work for you?" he asked Diego.

He shrugged. "Sure, why not? Would be nice to mix things up again."

"Doubles in Modern," the worker mumbled, making a note on the tablet. "All right, we'll make arrangements for that. You both will be entering through the Challenger's side. Based on your maze rankings, Polaris will take the Challenger's position and Diego will take the Champion's."

Neither of them felt the need to buy any more supplies (as Polaris had bought some earlier), so they joked with each other in the hall outside the stadium. It was a lot more relaxed then this morning. In the arena, they could hear the audience was still excited and pumped up for action.

"Ready for one more big show?" Diego asked, looking through the door as the announcer Miles started speaking to the audience.

"Yeah, let's have fun with this," Polaris said. This might be the last battle he had with the girls on his team. May as well make it a moment of glory for them.

"In that case, let's welcome back this year's two Champions!" Miles called into the microphone, gesturing towards their door. The audience cheered and chanted to this.

"That's your cue," the staff worker said, opening the door for them.

They glanced at each other, quickly laughing at the obvious statement. Then they walked along the pathway up to the center. Right now, it was still in its standard dirt pack arena. "You know," Diego said, "for being a place where the best Pokemon Trainers are tested, this place is overwhelmingly huge, like you're not that important."

"You felt that way too?" Polaris asked. It was nice to know that someone who often showed strong confidence was also intimidated by this place.

Nodding, he added, "I think it's a part of the psychology, emphasizing the challenge part of this."

They got to the central location where the announcer was standing. "Welcome back, both of you," Miles said, shaking their hands. "You've both had magnificent runs coming up here, and now you have both been recognized as the Sea of Jasper League Champion." Cheers erupted from the audience, along with some hand clapping and feet stomping. The announcer spoke louder to make up for this. "And now we will have this one last battle to determine who will be next year's reigning Champion!" After letting a cheer go on until it cooled, he said, "I have received word that you will be fighting this as a Doubles battle, not a Singles. Any particular reason you chose to go this way?"

"He suggested it," Diego said, patting Polaris' shoulder.

"I think the Doubles style shows the teamwork you've built up better than Singles," he said. "Besides, it's good to do something different every now and then."

"Yes, teamwork is very valuable," Miles said. "Do you have anything you want to say to each other before you battle?"

They had already been talking on the way up here, but Polaris figured he'd try to say something inspiring. "Well you've always been nice and friendly whenever I met with you, Diego," he said, looking to his friend. "And I know you've worked hard for this, so I admire your persistence. But I have faith in my Pokemon; I'm interested to see what will come of this."

Acknowledging that with a nod and smile, Diego replied, "Me too. Ah, but I'm actually a bit nervous. You reminded me of one of the first things they teach you about Pokemon, that if you love and respect them, their loyalty and love can help you through anything. I think a lot of people forget that, and you've shown how vital it is by coming this far this fast because of how you treat your Pokemon." Then he grinned. "But I've been working at that too now, so we'll see if I've come far enough."

"Ah, so we have two Champions who have total respect for one another," Miles said. "This is going to be mighty interesting. Polaris Starr, Diego Cartwright, take your positions and get ready to battle."

The two of them shook hands before parting and going to their assigned locations. As they walked down the paths, the floor shifted to bring out a set of yellow-tan and blue tiles, much like one would find in a Pokecenter. The other platforms shifted around and gained steel casings to form the pillars, while five large red structure beams stretched out overhead. And both sets of lights remained gold.

Back in the challenger's circle, Polaris reviewed the idea he had. It wasn't a tactic he had actually used before, as it wouldn't work so well in Singles. Rather, he had seen something like it when his Pokemon had been playing around one day. This was as good a time as any to see how it functioned. When the buzzer sounded, he called out his Kuni and Scyllamone.

On the other side of the arena, he saw that Diego had started with his Fluerdifir and Claydol. "Jessu, get higher up, wait for Varia, then Whirlwind the Claydol. Varia, use Surf when Jessu's out of range."

The two of them gave their agreements as the tiny cat flew upwards. Varia twirled her pale hand as she brought up a mass of water at the opposing two Pokemon. On the tail end of the Surf attack, a whirl of air caught the Claydol as it set up a trap of sharp rocks. Its companion flung out a poisonous thorn trap too; it would be quite dangerous for his team to swap now.

While Varia could handle the traps, he was going to see how far he could go before needing them gone. "Keep at it," he told them. "Jessu, get the Fluerdifir now."

Diego's Jacafrare was dragged out as a result of Whirlwind; he snorted in annoyance. He was sent to try hitting Jessu while the Fluerdifir raised shields for the team before getting blown away too. Next out was the Salamence; the Jacafrare survived Varia's next Surf, but was unable to hit the Kuni before he got forced out of battle too. Then came Will the Absol, who Diego barked out an order to quickly. The white and black Pokemon then rushed across the arena, leaping over the next Surf attack and slicing into the air. Somehow, he had managed to find Jessu and knock her out instantly.

He had to call out his next Pokemon before giving orders. Biting his lip, Polaris brought out Lethe. "Get the Absol; Varia, get rip of those traps."

Ignoring the rocks and thorns hitting her, the Katisp immediately flew out to meet Will. Her sword blade and his scythe blade clashed strongly, enough to send dark sparks flying through the air. The Absol fainted under the attack. However, Lethe didn't last much longer as the poison knocked her unconscious.

By then, the Scyllamone had eradicated both traps. As the Salamence was out, Polaris decided to bring out Icewin. Diego called out his Selkyrie at the same time. "Icewin, ice the Salamence; Varia, drain the Selkyrie."

They both went right with their orders. However, the Selkyrie slithered in front of her partner and screeched in a manner that drew both the Ice Beam and Giga Drain attacks to her. Behind her, the blue and red dragon was doing some kind of strange movement. Was that Dragon Dance? He could be in trouble if it was.

"Thissski!" Varia squealed, looking sickly all of a sudden. Polaris checked and saw that she had been poisoned.

Well if the skeletal sea Pokemon was going to draw all attacks, he might as well get rid of it. "Hang tight, Varia, and just attack her. Icewin, use Blizzard instead."

"Skkkccccrrrriiii!" the Selkyrie shrieked, slashing her claws through the air. A strange cursed aura then shot out from her to the Scyllamone, causing Varia a lot of pain. And then the Salamence roared, causing a mass of strange meteors to rain down on Polaris' side.

Frightened at the intense attack, Polaris stepped back and felt the air off one of the meteors hit his cheeks. Although it was close, it didn't actually hit him. His Pokemon weren't so lucky; Varia got knocked out and Icewin took heavy damage. The icy dragon grunted, but still sent out his blast of cold air at the other two. While the Salamence roared in indignation, the Selkyrie just chuckled.

This would be a bad time to have both of his dragons out. Polaris called out Picasso instead. "Focus on the Selkyrie, Picasso; Icewin, do that again." He then pulled out a Hyper Potion for his Glasyrm.

Grinning, Picasso dropped down and drew his symbol for Electric in the air; his Thunderbolt finally knocked the Selkyrie out. Icewin sent another Blizzard at the Salamence, but this one missed. The Salamence started flying across the arena as Diego called his Jacafrare back out.

"Ice Beam at the Salamence, both of you," Polaris ordered.

They winked at each other and got started. But then the Salamence whipped itself around and smashed his tail into Icewin hard enough to knock him back into his Pokeball. Tesla was pulled out instead. As Picasso's Ice Beam went off, Polaris checked on Icewin. He was still conscious, but badly hurt.

Then the Jacafrare raced over, headed straight for Picasso. Without waiting for orders, the Garchomp jumped in the way and slashed at the fire rabbit, knocking him out. But then the Salamence struck with his tail again, swapping Tesla and Icewin once again. To Polaris' word, Picasso went with Ice Beam again. From the looks of things, Diego seemed to have healed his dragon.

On the other side, the Claydol appeared again. It used Earthquake, knocking out Picasso and Icewin in one blow. Down to his last Pokemon, Polaris brought out Tesla and a Hyper Potion. "Get rid of that Salamence," he ordered. As he used the Potion on her, he figured that if she could knock him out, then she should be able to handle what was left of Diego's team.

Eyes narrowed, she attacked the Salamence with her claws; he replied with the same while the Claydol sent a beam of Psychic energy across the arena. Polaris tried healing her again, but the latter attack had confused her. She tried hard to shake it and attack the Salamence again, but Diego's two Pokemon knocked her out fully.

The crowd roared with applause and cheers as Diego won once again. Polaris felt concerned for his Pokemon, but walked back to the center. From watching past years, he felt certain that they'd let him go heal up his team shortly. On meeting with Diego, he shook hands with him again. "Nice battle," he said.

"Yeah, that was great," Diego said, smiling. "Man, if Will hadn't gotten lucky early, then you might have had me with just your first pair."

"It was an exciting match right to the end," Miles said to both of them. "And now we have confirmed that Polaris is the secondary Champion while Diego will be next year's Champion battle opponent!" The cheers surged again as some people started chanting Diego's name. "If you'll both head out through the other doorway," he pointed towards where the Elites and the Champions had entered, "you'll meet with Camilla and get your teams healed and registered in the Hall of Fame. Go ahead; we'll be waiting to celebrate both of your wins when you return."

"Let's go," Diego said, waiting on him before walking with him up the pathway. Once they were out of the microphone's range, he added, "That could have been really killer, you know. Set up a couple of traps before you head all out with Surf and Whirlwind and your opponent wouldn't be able to do much."

"Or if Jessu had used Double Team first," Polaris pointed out.

He laughed. "Oh, now that would be downright evil. Especially since you've got other field attackers like your Garchomp with Earthquake, or Icewin with Blizzard or Surf."

"What was that move that your Salamence was switching Pokemon out with?" he asked, curious.

"Dragon Tail. He wouldn't learn it normally, so I had to track down a TM for it, which is only made in certain regions. Not to mention the fact that getting one with Dragon Dance was a pain searching the trade boards for." He ran his right hand through his black hair. "He's starting to warm up to me. The others are getting along better, especially Fluerdifir and Claydol. I think Selkyrie likes me better too, but she can be spooky and I'm not certain what she really thinks. Will's got an attitude, though."

Polaris chuckled. "Right, I remember how he is."

Past the large doorway was another short hall, and then a lounge area. There was a large green corner couch on the right, with a flat screen TV on the wall to the left. A vending machine was in a corner too, so the Elite Trainers could hang out here while waiting their turn. Aside from the one they came through, there were three doors: one on either side and another straight ahead.

Camilla was standing near the third door. Also in the room were a Scyther and Scizor. "Hello Camilla, Polaris said. "And you two, it was Skyra and Miguel, right?"

The Scizor just nodded while Skyra made an approving buzz with her wings.

"Hello Polaris, and Diego," Camilla said. "It's rather interesting that I've gone several years undefeated and then two of you become Champions. But I know the both of you deserve it. Come with me and we'll get you registered in the Hall of Fame." She then ran her ID card through a reader to unlock the door.

"What do you have these two Pokemon for?" Diego asked, curious. "I've never seen you battle with them, but I rarely see you without them."

"They're my two masters," she replied as she led the group, including the two Pokemon, into the hidden room. "I learn from them, but in exchange, I am forbidden from capturing any of their kin. So I can't use them in League battles as a participant."

"Nevin gets a special exemption with his Rhyperior master, doesn't he?" Polaris asked.

She nodded. "It took a lot of convincing, though. The League members didn't want an unregistered Pokemon that could never be captured fighting in a Gym. We eventually got him through by pointing out that it was a cultural issue, such as the exemptions that must be made for the Dragon Clan in Johto."

They entered a grand room. It had a glossy black floor that was perfectly clean, large cream-colored drapes that simply hung from the walls, and a nearly wall-sized screen behind a modified healing machine. Although this room was restricted access, and while it looked grand like that, there didn't seem to be a lot of importance in it.

"Diego, you go first as the reigning Champion," Camilla said, starting up the registration process on a touch screen.

"Sure." He placed the six Pokeballs of his team into the slots of the healing device. "And, I've got to say that you were right, back when I first battled you. Although you were rather harsh about it."

She smiled. "I didn't trust the foreign League at the time, as I was still learning your ways. But I can see that your bond with Pokemon is growing and you have improved. I have no ill feelings towards your peoples now."

"How long ago did you two first battle?" Polaris asked, curious.

"It was around five years ago when I was working my way through the Gyms," Camilla explained. "He was working in the second Gym I won, the Normal one in Aetha. He was a Trainer there at the time."

"And she said that I was too distant from my Pokemon after the battle ended," Diego added, as a picture of his Jacafrare appeared on the screen. "I felt like she had no right to judge me like that, since we had just met for that battle. I still had a bit of brashness then." He looked up to the screen as his other Pokemon appeared.

"You truly do learn about yourself in doing this, whether you win or lose," she said. "I have not heard the final judgment from the goddesses, but I hope they will allow us to keep working with the League. Polaris, when Diego takes his team back, give me a moment and we'll get your team healed and registered."

He nodded, but also noticed a faint red glow from his leaf pendant when she mentioned the goddesses. For a moment, he wondered if it was the right time. A gentle telepathic prodding from Desolaire told him what to do.

As he put his team's Pokeballs in the machine, he said, "Oh Camilla, about my mission…"

Her eyebrows raised in interest. "Yes, how is that going?"

He smiled as a picture of Picasso (accurate right down to his missing left ear) appeared on the screen. "Why don't you meet with me before sunrise tomorrow? Both of you, actually."

"Huh, about what?" Diego asked, looking at him, then her.

"Are you certain about that?" Camilla asked, glancing at Diego.

Polaris nodded. "It's fine. I'll tell you more then."

* * *

Jasper Regional Pokedex

Key Search: Atlatle

Attile – (natural) - **Atlatle**

Type: Rock/Fight

Ability: Rough Skin

Description: Atlatle is about four feet tall, but quite heavy. It has four arms. The two inner arms are smaller, but still muscular; they act as hands. The two outer arms both end in large sledgehammer blocks, with yellow stripes against its main brown color. Its legs end in wide flat blocks, kind of like a duck's, only thicker. Its helmet now has small spines growing backwards; similar spines cover its body armor. It has no fur.

Notes: At first look, Atlatle may seem like a brutish Pokemon, preferring to use physical attacks exclusively. But it does appear to have some cleverness, at least when it comes to fighting. It can pick up rocks and sticks to use as secondary weapons along with its sledgehammer hands, as well as come up with creative strategies to tough fights. Then again, it seems to categorize its world into things to eat, things to fight, and things that are of no interest. (C. Thessalan)


	35. Sunrise at the Beach

November 11th, year 59

Horizon Island

Outside the widow of his Champion's Suite, the sky was a dark blue-gray. A thin veil of mist hung over the land outside, nearly obscuring the view of the ocean. A solemn quiet hung in the air, drastically different than the exhilarating cheer and noise of the celebrations last night. As the sky lightened slowly, the electric lamps outside had not yet turned off. It was time to go.

Polaris was already awake and ready. He had brought out his desert outfit from Jesrin and dressed in that today. Because he didn't have anything elaborate from the Arkahna culture, like what Camilla had worn yesterday, this seemed most appropriate. He turned from the window and looked to his seven Pokemon. In particular, the four Shrine Maidens.

He walked over to them. "Well, it's time for us to say goodbye," he said.

'It's been an honor and joy working with you, Polaris,' the Katisp said, getting nods and sounds of agreement from the other three.

"You too," he said, holding out his hand so that Jessu could land there. "I'm sure I'll be able to see you again when I visit the shrines, but I'll miss traveling with you four. Jessu, you've been with me longest. I know that sometimes I wasn't sure what to do with you, but you always persisted, no matter what the odds."

The tiny winged cat purred and rubbed her head against his thumb. "Murrr."

After she flitted off, he knelt down near the white anemone Pokekon. "Varia, it wasn't easy getting used to you, but you've done marvelously in helping me and the others. I've read some people who think your kind are air-headed flirts, but you show that first impressions aren't always right. Besides, you saved me a couple of times and really helped me out."

The Scyllamone giggled, putting one hand to her cheek and blinking her one eye. But then she shook hands with him as a sign of friendship. "Whessurrruu, sarraia!" Then she blew a kiss at him.

"Yes, you are still a flirt," he said in amusement, tousling her false hair before getting back up and going to the Katisp. "Lethe, you've always been loyal and hard-working. You would come quickly to my defense even if it wasn't really necessary. And, I never really doubted your bravery. You fought a demon for me before we really met, after all. So I think you are in no danger of losing your position."

She ducked her ghostly self further back into the helmet, looking shy. 'You are very kind, but I still have to answer to Misaillo…'

"Hoosshuuu zuuura!" Verron interrupted. The Mifge floated over, holding his knife to the side as he spoke to her. "Hesfu shay oouuusa resshh harah."

"Shurre zesha," Lethe replied, relaxing some and tapping his horn. 'Oh, he says that he is proud to have a powerful and skilled mother. I suppose if I didn't have much, that and your approval are great blessings. Thank you.'

"I'll try to get him to be just as skilled," Polaris said, getting an enthusiastic agreement from the baby Pokemon. Then the Trainer came to the orange and tan Garchomp. "And you, Tesla… I haven't had you as long as the rest, but you're still one of my team and I love you all for that. And knowing all this time that I would have to rechallenge you helped encourage me to figure out what the Transcriber could do, and more about what I was supposed to be doing. I still have a lot to learn, but if I keep in mind to become strong like you, I'm sure that I won't be settling for less than my best at any time."

Never being one for saying much, Tesla made an affectionate soft growl and hugged him. They were all going to miss him too. But, they had connections that should never break.

"Sharra she," Varia said, then chattered on for a bit.

"Eh tai!" Picasso exclaimed in reply, standing up straight and saluting with one paw as he grabbed his green tipped brush tail in the other.

Lethe chuckled. 'She said that we came together to help guide and protect you while you located the gods and goddesses, but now that we have to return to our duties, we are not worried about you. Not only will the Transcriber help you overcome obstacles, but you have Picasso, Icewin, and Verron to stand by you. You should have nothing to fear.'

Polaris smiled. "Right. I have to let some great friends go, but some other great friends will remain with me." Then he touched the pendant. "Still, we'd better get going if we want to get the right time. Desolaire, are you ready?"

After a moment of quiet, the sun goddess telepathically said, 'In some ways, I still feel like hiding. But, I can't be doing that anymore. We'd best go ahead and do this.'

"All right," he said. "I'll need to use my computer for a couple of minutes to let these four go free. Then we'll head out."

When that was taken care of, Polaris left the suite with his Pokemon. Icewin was still rather large to slither around the halls easily, so he recalled him while letting the rest tag along. Out in the hall, he found Diego and with his Jacafrare, Fluerdifir, Claydol, and Absol. "Good morning," the young man said, stretching his arms up. "I had half a mind to sleep in today and take the day off, but I'm curious about what you were talking about yesterday."

He smiled. "Good morning, and good to see that you decided to come. We need to go outside; I have to let my four girls go."

Diego and his four Pokemon followed. "Huh, what?" he asked, sounding confused. "You're letting four of your Pokemon go? Why? You're all so close, like a family of sorts."

"It does feel like that," he agreed. "But even though they are dear to me, I still have to let them go. You see, these four," he indicated Jessu, Varia, Lethe, and Tesla, "are actually Shrine Maidens that serve four of the legendary Pokemon of Jasper. There's six legends that have been sleeping for centuries, and I wound up being in a position to awaken them. They sent the Maidens with me to help me out, and also to investigate the League for them. Now that my task is just about complete, I need to let them return to their duties."

"Then you really were meeting with the legends of Jasper?" Diego asked, intrigued. "I mean, I had seen your paintings and heard things about it even from you, but I wasn't really sure it was all true. It's kind of hard for me to believe."

He nodded. "That's what I've been doing. Anyhow, I had remembered you saying that as much as you've traveled, you've never seen a legendary Pokemon for yourself. That's why I decided to invite you along." He looked to Diego. "But you do need to be respectful. They are the gods and goddesses of this region… I think a number of those legends are gods and goddesses of their own rights. It's just that few people believe in them in that way any more."

"I don't know much about religion," he said. "Eve does. But, I'll keep that in mind."

After reaching a larger elevator that let all of them ride down to ground level, Polaris, Diego, and their Pokemon left the Stadium. Outside, they found Megan, Greeble the Ariados, Camilla, her eight accompanying Pokemon, and a man who was on his own. "Good morning," Camilla said. "Essen came in late last night; I hope you don't mind him coming too."

"Oh that's fine," he said, shaking both of their hands in turn. "Essen, it's good to see you again. This is Diego Cartwright, a friend of mine and the main League Champion now. Diego, this is Essen Solaris, the leader of the Arkahna people."

"Hello sir," Diego said while shaking Essen's hand. "I never expected to meet you, of all people."

The former prophet smiled slightly. "And I had once thought I would never be working with outsiders. But, things change and it seems we have to change with them."

"Well I'm sure there's much to talk about," Polaris said. Then he pointed to the brightening sky. "But the dawn won't wait on us, and I waited for this particular time. Camilla, is there a beach nearby here that faces east?"

She nodded. "Yes, there are several like that. The closest one is down this path here; I'm sure no one will argue with the three of us going there."

Down a narrow and twisting dirt path, they came to a vacant sandy beach. There was dark seaweed strewn along the flat sands, while a few small Pokemon we at their low tide habits. Once the remaining Pokemon were called out, there were twenty-two of them, plus the five humans. It made the scene a little noisy, especially since Verron had tried challenging some of the other Pokemon along the way (none of them would fight one so young, which frustrated him). But Polaris felt that an accepting and happy crowd would be better than just him and her.

But if he wanted to welcome her back, that wasn't enough. Polaris brought out the Transcriber. "With everyone here, I have something to tell you," he said. "I found Desolaire's spirit within the underground mazes of Horizon Island. She still feels neglected and unhappy, which is why I wanted to call her out with some loving and open-minded people around. She spent so long with that greedy thief; she's heard nothing but torment for many long years. I'm going to call her sister first, and the other members of the Spirit Clan. I hope to help her recover."

"We'll all be glad to have her back," Essen said. "I'm sure all of our people would be willing to help if she needs it."

"If you found her in the mazes, then where has she been?" Camilla asked.

He touched his pendant briefly before flipping the Transcriber over and drawing a symbol on the back. "She's been with me, linked to my pendant. Rubledge traveled with me for months in that manner, so I offered her use of it. I know myself that just being with someone sympathetic can help out in the worst of times." He smiled at Megan for a moment, then turned his attention to the summoning he was about to do.

Desolaire was definitely paying attention. He could feel something warm like the sun's rays even though there was just a patch of yellow on the eastern horizon. Maybe it wasn't absolutely necessary to call her at dawn, but that seemed so much more respectful to make the effort to do this at a significant time. Off to the west, the moon was still bright in the sky too, so it would be best for both sisters.

Tapping the symbols on the back of the Transcriber, he prayed to the ones already awake. "Zepharia of the western grasslands, Hu-kyo of the northern mountains, Misaillo of the eastern sea, Santiperra of the southern desert," he paused, then added, "Rubledge the wanderer, please come to my call. And Lunarium, I have your sister's soul with me. Bring her body here so that we can make her whole once again. I ask this as the prophet of the sun and the moon."

There was a moment where the only sound was the ocean's surf on the sand, and a few of the Pokemon settling down out of respect. Then there was a colossal roar from the sky, to the north. They had heard, and they were coming.

First there was Santiperra, showing up as a shifting of the ground, then bursting out in a cloud of sand. While he shook the particles off his exoskeleton, Zepharia and Hu-kyo descended from the sky, the former landing on the beach near the other four humans, the latter gliding into a position where he could hover just out of the way. Rubledge emerged from the trees, moving slowly but coming when Santiperra and Hu-kyo acknowledged her. Off in the distance, there was a surging of the water, and then Misaillo came out and glided in to the shallows of the sea.

Finally, Lunarium appeared in a flash like moonlight. She was in her bonnet form, her orb glowing the same as the moon in the sky. With one of her ribbons, she pulled Desolaire's repaired body with her. Her orb seemed clearer with fewer cracks, but was still dull. 'Good morning, Polaris, sister,' Lunarium said, her words mixed with cheer and concern.

"Good morning, all of you," Polaris said.

He looked back to the others there. Several of the Pokemon were curious, coming over to check out the seven that had arrived. The four Shrine Maidens went up to their respective masters and greeted them. As for the humans, they were in mixed states of awe and surprise. It seemed that Essen hadn't expected him to be able to call them with just the simple request. Camilla didn't seem that surprised, but after all her years of serving the goddesses, she wasn't sure what to do on being in their presence.

On the other hand, Diego apparently felt the presence of their power and was taken by complete surprise by it. Perhaps he had expected legendary Pokemon to be not much different than regular Pokemon. Megan felt it too, but was bolder about it and came up to Zepharia, curious to see if he would let her touch him.

"Zephaira and Rubledge are the only two here that can talk with most humans," Polaris told them.

"I can explain some things," Zepharia said, startling Megan with his clear English. "That which we've discussed so far."

"But you should be drawing before the sun crosses the horizon, right?" Misaillo asked. "He'll talk to them."

Polaris nodded. "Right, I'll get to it. Are you ready, Lunarium?"

With the both of them just a few feet from him, she nodded. 'Yes. What damage remains should be fixed by the power of the summoning.'

Knowing that, Polaris nodded and flipped the white tablet over to start drawing. He focused on that feeling of sunlight rather than the form of her body in front of him. That was her past, which she needed to move beyond. Drawing her now, pulling off all that he had heard of her from the people, the occasional glimpses he had into her power and life, and the sun itself just starting to appear… that was part of who she was, that which he knew of her. Bringing her back would bring hope and relief to her followers; that could bring healing to her.

His body felt warm as he came out of his trance of drawing. He gripped the Transcriber and said, "Master Desolaire, please return to yourself. The people's hopes lie with you."

The black lines on the tablet turned fiery red as a bright glow came out of the pendant. Desolaire's soul left the green stone and reunited with her body. As the sun was coming into the sky, the sun goddess' orb turned bright with a golden light, clearing back up and becoming whole. She remained in her tassel form while coming awake, then shifted as she became alert to the others around her. Part of the red and gold threads shifted up to become like a long ponytail off the orb, while the rest formed an open swirl like an interpretation of a dress. The ribbons on top of her orb shifted down to become arms.

'Sister!' Lunarium stayed close to Desolaire, using one of her ribbons to clasp hers. 'I've missed you so much; I'm happy to have you back.' She was emitting a sense like she was crying and laughing at the same time.

'Lunarium, I'm sorry…' Desolaire replied. Polaris could feel her mind searching out those that were there; she was wary of being hurt, but he trusted the people and Pokemon that were here.

Rubledge came over to them, having avoided notice of the others that Zepharia was speaking with. "I don't think anyone would blame you for what happened," she said. "The humans and Pokemon around here love you greatly, even though it's been so long. You have a lot to return to." She left of saying that she herself didn't have much to call her own around the Sea of Jasper, as her people were gone.

The twins noticed too. 'You could help us while we're settling into this time,' Lunarium offered. 'You've been active in the past several years and you know the modern people better.'

"I'll do what I can," Rubledge said.

"I will too," Polaris said, noticing when Picasso came bounding over to his side. He patted the Smeargle's beret. "I think there would have to be a lot of change from the old ways to the new."

She felt grateful for that. 'Yes there would,' Desolaire agreed. 'I hope they'll be willing to listen, though. I'm back in my body; if I get to doing things, then maybe I'll feel better.'

"Err dai?" Picasso said, then followed up with another question. Whatever it was, he seemed to be in earnest about it.

When he was done, the twins were quiet a moment. But then Desolaire unexpectedly burst out into laughter, causing Lunarium to do the same in delight. It surprised the others at the beach. 'How thoughtful of you to ask, Picasso,' Lunarium said, giggling.

Seeing the Smeargle's grin, Polaris felt that he either really wanted to know or would regret knowing after. "What is it?" he asked.

Desolaire brought her ribbon arms together. 'He said that he knows you're going to be working with us, and some traditions expect things out of such people. But then you would be unhappy if you had to part from the woman over there.' She giggled then. 'So he wanted to know if it was all right for you to get married while working under us.'

Polaris smiled and blushed in response. "Is that it? I hadn't been thinking about that far ahead." He glanced back at the others, who must have been wondering what they were talking about. "But he is right about that."

'Love is a beautiful thing,' Lunarium said. 'If your love is true and you truly want that companionship, then we would be fine with that.

'Friendship is just as beautiful,' Desolaire added, giving a nod to Picasso.

"Of course," Polaris said. "And that's good to know." Then he leaned down and hugged his Smeargle. "Thanks for thinking of me, buddy."

Picasso gave a happy murmur and hugged him back.


End file.
